OLYMPICS

Legacy: Young People

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what plans she has for the legacy use of Olympics sporting venues by young people.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympics sporting venues in East London and elsewhere in the UK will be available for use after the games at all levels from local communities to elite athletes.
	The legacy business plans being prepared for the sports venues—including the stadium, the aquatics centre and the velodrome and velopark—have the provision of affordable access for young people at their heart; for example we anticipate over half a million visits a year at the Aquatics Centre, of which over 100,000 will consist of use by schools, swimming lessons and clubs, and many more by young people visiting during community sessions.
	The stadium will include, in addition to a 25,000-seat, IAAF-compliant athletics facility with the capacity to host domestic and international events, a range of other educational and sporting uses including a school with a sporting specialism for 300 to 400 14 to 19-year-olds and a National Skills Academy for sport and leisure providing skills training focused on the 19 to 24 years age group.

Construction Programme

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent progress has been made on the London 2012 Olympics construction programme; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Over 30 per cent. of the Olympic Delivery Authority's Programme is now complete. All the major venues are on schedule and the Olympic stadium and Aquatics Centre are ahead of schedule.
	Construction of the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre commenced last week and, in the past few weeks, work has begun on the foundations for the Velodrome and on the construction of the sweeping roof of the Aquatics Centre.

Olympic Delivery Authority Contracts

Sally Keeble: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many organisations based outside London have been awarded contracts by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Tessa Jowell: To date, the Olympic Delivery Authority has awarded contracts to 935 businesses. Of these 424 were to businesses registered outside of London, including three in my hon. Friend's own constituency.
	London 2012 expects to directly procure £6 billion worth of contracts, generating 75,000 supply chain opportunities.
	Early evidence shows businesses across the UK are already benefiting.

Housing

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that housing built for the London 2012 Olympics will be available to rent and to buy after the event concludes.

Tessa Jowell: I and my colleague, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, are working together to ensure the Games will provide a housing legacy of up to 35 per cent. affordable homes, as provided for in planning approvals and associated section 106 agreements.
	After the Games the Olympic Village will be converted into mixed tenure housing which will be available to rent or buy for a wide range of people, including existing local communities.
	The allocation of affordable homes after the Games will be agreed between the relevant London boroughs and the Homes and Community Agency.

Employment: Olympic Park

Clive Efford: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many local people are employed in the construction of the Olympic Park site; and how many of them were unemployed immediately prior to their employment on the site.

Tessa Jowell: The figures published by the Olympic Delivery Authority in January 2009 show that at the end of December 2008 there were 3,315 people working on the Olympic Park site. Of these 23 per cent. were residents of the five Olympic host boroughs. 17 per cent. of these declared themselves as unemployed prior to working on the site.

Olympic Games 2012: Tourism

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what estimate she has made of the number of additional visitors expected to visit the UK as a result of the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 23 March 2009
	Using London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games' (LOCOG) London 2012 Ticket Allocation Model, The Oxford Economics Study 'The Value of the London 2012 Games and Paralympic Games to UK Tourism', published in September 2007 and commissioned by VisitBritain and Visit London, estimates that there will be approximately 900,000 attendees for events related to the 2012 games. However, this will contribute only a small part of the estimated £2.1 billion tourism gains for the UK as a whole that will result from the games in the period 2007 to 2017. The Oxford Economics study has also identified that there will be in excess of 32 million UK-wide extra nights stayed by visitors as a result of the games.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what properties his Department has sold in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has not sold any properties in the last five years.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system, including the provision of hardware.
	The Office has a pool of eight secure SCOTS laptops at its disposal that are available for Ministers, special advisers and staff to use. A couple have been allocated for the sole use of Ministers and special advisers, but they remain allocated to the Office as a whole. The laptops were provided as part of an ongoing technology refresh to the SCOTS IT system, the direct costs of the hardware came to £6,091.20.

Departmental Coordination

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what  (a) accommodation,  (b) financial systems,  (c) personnel and  (d) ICT and  (e) other administrative support services his Department receives from (i) the Ministry of Justice and (ii) the Scottish Executive.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not directly employ staff. All staff in the Office are on secondment from other Government Departments, which administer the personnel records of their staff. The Scotland Office has its own separate set of books within Scottish Executive's financial system and have access to their ICT system. No accommodation or other administrative support services are received from either Department.

Departmental Empty Property

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the change in the annual cost to his Department of maintaining the empty public buildings owned by his Department as a result of the April 2008 changes to empty property rate relief.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not own any buildings.

Departmental Pay

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department  (a) spent on salaries for (i) special advisers and (ii) communications and press officers in each year since 2003 and  (b) plans to spend on salaries of (A) special advisers and (B) communications and press officers in 2010-11.

Ann McKechin: Since 2003, the Government have been committed to publishing an annual list detailing the number and costs of special advisers. Information for 2007-08 was published by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS. The salary costs of communications and press officers in the Scotland Office is as follows:
	
		
			   Communications and press officers (£) 
			 2003-04 114,643 
			 2004-05 105,266 
			 2005-06 93,114 
			 2006-07 70,283 
			 2007-08 113,235 
		
	
	Plans for 2010-11 have yet to be finalised.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid the  (a) Ministry of Justice and  (b) Scottish Executive for (i) accommodation, (ii) financial systems, (iii) personnel, (iv) ICT support and (v) other administrative services in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office (SO) does not share any accommodation with either the Scottish Executive (SE) or the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The SO maintains its own separate set of books within the SE accounting system, at no additional cost. The SO does not directly employ staff—they are all secondees from other Government Departments, which invoice the SO for pay costs but administer personnel records for secondees themselves. The SO paid the SE £115,073 for ICT support for the last 12 months. No other administrative services were received from either the SE or MoJ.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisation provided such training.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on media training for Ministers in the last three years.

Opinion Leader Research

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has paid Opinion Leader Research in each year since November 2007.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has not used Opinion Leader Research since November 2007.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Manpower

Tony Lloyd: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many contracts of employment relating to staff employed by right hon. and hon. Members the Department of Resources holds.

Nick Harvey: As at 31 March 2009 the Department of Resources held 2,344 contracts of employment.

Parliament: Visits

Geraldine Smith: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many participants in tours of Parliament booked through the central tours office which took place in the last 12 months came from each part of the UK.

Nick Harvey: Information is not available in exactly the form requested. The table gives a regional breakdown of the number of tours booked by Members through the Central Tours Office for the year April 2008 to March 2009 inclusive.
	
		
			  Regional breakdown of tours booked by Members, 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 
			  Region  Number of sponsoring Members  Number of tours booked  Percentage 
			 East Midlands 44 802 6 
			 East of England 57 1,341 11 
			 London 78 2,459 20 
			 North East 29 328 3 
			 North West 74 1,170 9 
			 South East 83 2,058 17 
			 South West 51 1,025 8 
			 West Midlands 58 964 8 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 54 746 6 
			 Northern Ireland 15 232 2 
			 Scotland 57 739 6 
			 Wales 40 456 4 
			 Incomplete data 2 26 0 
			 Total — 12,346 100

Publications: Internet

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission at what times on each sitting day  (a) the  Official Report, (b) the Summary Agenda and Order of Business,  (c) Future Business,  (d) Votes and Proceedings,  (e) Early Day Motions and  (f) Questions for Oral or Written Answer (The Questions Book) are planned to be placed on the parliamentary (i) intranet and (ii) website; on what occasions in the last three months each has been late; for what reasons in each case; what steps the Commission is taking to ensure these items are available electronically in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Target upload times are the same for intranet and internet versions of parliamentary publications. Target upload times are as follows:
	
		
			  Publication  Target upload times 
			  Official Report:  
			 Daily Part 8 am 
			 Public Bill Committees 12.30 pm 
			 Chamber and Westminster Hall (Today in the Commons) 3 to 4 hours after delivery of speeches in the Chamber or Westminster Hall, reducing to 2 to 3 hours on the rising of the House 
			 Summary Agenda/Order of Business 7.30 am 
			 Future Business 7.30 am 
			 Votes and Proceedings 8.30 am 
			 Early Day Motions Between 7.30 and 8 am 
			 Question Books Parts 1 and 2 9.30 am 
		
	
	In the period January to March 2009, the following items have been uploaded late:
	
		
			  Publication  Number of occasions of late uploading 
			  Official Report:  
			 Daily Part 3 
			 Chamber and Westminster Hall (Today in the Commons) 2 
			 Summary Agenda/Order of Business 1 
			 Votes and Proceedings 6 
			 Early Day Motions 3 
			 Question Books Part 2 3 
		
	
	Full information on the reason in each case for late uploading is not recorded. Delays have occurred in part because of the need to amend links or to amend and reload files. Upload times are monitored to ensure timely publication on the intranet and internet and to ensure that publication difficulties are resolved.
	In addition to the publications listed, regular updates are made to other parliamentary intranet and internet pages. These include the following:
	Announcements of ministerial statements - hourly uploads from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
	Business statement—an hour after the end of the statement
	Announcements of Select Committee evidence sessions—usually by 5 pm Thursday
	Announcements of General Committees—by 5 pm Wednesday and updated where necessary by 5 pm Thursday
	Updates to Today's business on www.parliament.uk are published at midnight. This section also links to the parliamentary calendar, which shows daily business in the Chamber, Westminster Hall and Select and General Committees. Latest news on:
	www.parliament.uk
	is updated daily and updates can be published hourly from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm and at midnight.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many full level 2 qualifications completed by adult learners have included  (a) mathematics GCSE and  (b) English GCSE in each of the last 10 years.

Si�n Simon: The table shows the number of full level 2 qualifications achieved by adult learners in further education which included GCSE mathematics or GCSE English. Information is provided for 2003/04 to 2007/08. Comparable figures prior to 2003/04 are not available.
	
		
			  Full level 2 achievements by adults (aged 19+) in further education provision, of which including GCSE mathematics or GCSE English, 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			Of the total full level 2 achievers 
			  Academic year  Full level 2 achievers total  Achieving GCSE English  Achieving GCSE mathematics  Of which ,  achieving both 
			 2003/04 72,800 160 130 30 
			 2004/05 88,500 190 160 60 
			 2005/06 109,100 200 210 60 
			 2006/07 116,000 250 240 90 
			 2007/08 116,700 270 240 80 
			  Notes: 1. Age is based on age as at 31 August (academic age). 2. This information does not include learners achieving a full level 2 qualification in school sixth forms. It also does not include information on learners in higher education institutions, including those that deliver FE provision, unless a provider has submitted an FE individualised learner record return. 3. Learners achieving a full level 2 including both GCSE mathematics and GCSE English are included in both of the columns for these GCSEs and also the column for learners achieving both.  Source: FE ILR 
		
	
	Over the last few years the Government have prioritised funding towards longer and fuller programmes such as full level 2 qualifications (equivalent of five A*-C GCSEs or vocational equivalent). This has increased the number of adults achieving the broad platform of skills for entering and progressing into employment.

Aimhigher Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of students who attended Aimhigher courses, events or workshops subsequently enrolled in a university in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06;
	(2)  how many 16 to 18-year-olds who attended Aimhigher courses subsequently enrolled in a university in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06;
	(3)  how the effectiveness of the Aimhigher programme in encouraging school students into higher education is measured;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Aimhigher programme.

David Lammy: Aimhigher is making a significant contribution towards raising the aspirations of young people towards university, and their pre-entry attainment levels. Over 50 per cent. of young people from all social backgrounds now aspire to university.
	It is not possible at a national level to identify young people entering university who previously participated in Aimhigher activities.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England has commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to work with partnerships on the collection of consistent and coherent local data so that the impact of the programme can better be assessed. We expect the results from a separate study of early Excellence Challenge participants into higher education to be available later in the spring. This will give us the first information to date on the impact of Aimhigher on entry to university.
	Evaluation of Aimhigher's predecessors showed, for example, that after just 18 months of the Excellence Challenge programme:
	pupils in schools with Excellence Challenge improved by 2.5 GCSE points compared to those in comparison schools;
	there was a significant improvement in the proportion of young people in Excellence Challenge schools attaining levels 4, 5 or 6 in the key stage 3 tests between 2001/02 and 2002/03: it is estimated that Excellence Challenge led to a 4.6 percentage point increase in Maths attainment at key stage 3; and
	aspirations to HE were 3.9 percentage points higher in Excellence Challenge schools than in non-Excellence Challenge schools.

Aimhigher Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many sixth form students attended Aimhigher courses, events or workshops in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

David Lammy: This information is not available at a national level. The report 'Aimhigher summer schools: Analysis of provision and participation in summer schools 2004-2008' (Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), 2009) says that, during the five years from 2003-04 to 2007-08, the Aimhigher summer school programme funded over 1,350 summer schools which helped 41,000 young people. Nine out of 10 school participants in summer schools were from school years 10 and 11, with the remainder mainly drawn from school year 12.
	The Department is currently working with HEFCE to develop a new web based database that will record Aimhigher participants and activities, and this will be trialled shortly.

Aimhigher Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what the budget for the Aimhigher programme was in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06;
	(2)  how much was spent on all programmes to encourage and widen participation in higher education in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06;
	(3)  what the advertising budget was for Aimhigher programmes in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

David Lammy: The budget for Aimhigher in the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 was as follows:
	
		
			   Aimhigher( 1)  budget  ( million) 
			 2005-06 102 
			 2006-07 87 
			 2007-08 80 
			 (1) Aimhigher is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Learning and Skills Council and the Department for Health. The budgets include funding for the Aimhigher Associates programme. 
		
	
	The amount spent on all programmes to encourage and widen participation in higher education in the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 was as follows:
	
		
			   million to nearest whole number 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Aimhigher and predecessors(1,)( )(2) 102 87 80 
			 Student support(3) 1,411 1,634 1,962 
			 Widening participation allocation(4) 284 345 356 
			 University bursaries and outreach  116 192 
			 Total 1,797 2,182 2,590 
			 (1) The unified Aimhigher programme was introduced in 2004. Predecessor programmes were Excellence Challenge, funded by the then Department for Education and Skills, and Partnerships for Progression, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Aimhigher is funded jointly by DIUS, HEFCE, the LSC and the Department for Health. (2) The figures include, annually, 47.9 million from the Department, and 29 million from HEFCE. (3) All student support figures are for English domiciled students. (4) These figures also include the allocations for improving the retention of non traditional students, and to widen access and improve provision for disabled students. 
		
	
	There is no specific budget for the advertising of Aimhigher programmes. The majority of the Aimhigher budget is allocated to Aimhigher partnerships of schools, colleges and universities. Partnerships draw up plans setting out their vision and strategic priorities, their strategic objectives for the year, including indicators of success and timescales, and their evaluation plans. Information on advertising is not collected nationally.

Basic Skills

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people have made use of Skills Accounts since the launch of the pilots in September 2008.

Si�n Simon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 March 2009,  Official Report, column 696W. All those who have registered for a skills account can make use of it in a number of ways. These include finding out how much Government funding an individual may be entitled to support their learning, checking the availability of that learning in the local area, and getting advice and guidance on careers and jobs.
	The Government are committed to rolling out skills accounts from autumn 2010. Ultimately, we want accounts to deliver a high level of personal empowerment, giving adults the power to choose the training they need and to commission that training direct from providers.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how much has been spent on each project under the Building Colleges for the Future programme in each year since its inception;
	(2)  how much has been spent on the Building Colleges for the Future programme in each region in each year since the programme's inception;
	(3)  how many Building Colleges for the Future projects which have cleared the application in detail stage  (a) have been completed and  (b) are under way.

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on capital investment (further education colleges), 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of expenditure incurred by further education and sixth form colleges on capital building projects  (a) in advance of the feasibility stage,  (b) between the feasibility stage and an approval in principle and  (c) between an approval in principle and an approval in detail since 1997;
	(2)  which colleges had received funding from the Learning and Skills Council in advance of an approval in principle for a capital building project at the latest date for which information is available.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for further education colleges is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). As the information requested pertains to records held by the Council, I have asked Geoffrey Russell, the acting LSC chief executive, to write to the hon. Members with the information requested. A copy of his letters will be placed in the House Libraries.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) the Department for Children, Schools and Families on the Building Colleges for the Future programme.

Si�n Simon: The Department has and continues to have regular discussions with both HM Treasury and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), on the Building Colleges for the Future programme.
	DCSF already contributes to FE modernisation from the 16-19 capital fund to support growth of 16-19 places in college projects with the FE capital programme and plans to continue to do that.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which further education colleges with capital funding projects which have been submitted to the Building Schools for the Future programme will not receive funding in the current spending round.

Si�n Simon: Further education capital projects are funded through the Building Colleges for the Future programme, which is administered by the Learning and Skills Council on behalf of the Department.
	The Building Schools for the Future programme, as administered by Partnerships for Schools on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools, and Families, does not include further education colleges and as such there are no capital projects to list which will not be funded in the current spending round.

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 900W, on departmental bank services, what the monetary value is of his Department's contract with Deutsche Bank.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has not made any payments to date to Deutsche bank under their contract as Sales Arranger for the Student Loan Sales Programme.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since its creation; and at what cost.

Si�n Simon: Under the Department's ICT service provision contract, all staff are provided with laptop computers in place of desktop computers. Docking stations are provided on a hot desk basis in official buildings. The laptop is their only computer. The cost to the public purse is the standard charge for the ICT managed service provision.
	The Department supports five Ministers, two special advisers, the Chief Scientific Officer and just over 1,000 civil servants. In 2008-09 the standard charge for ICT managed service provision was 1.7 million.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: Information on sickness absence in the Department can be found the DIUS website:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/announcements/dius_staff

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: The Department's building services are provided through the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which manage the buildings that DIUS occupies.
	The Department and its agencies have taken a number of steps over the last 12 months to improve the thermal efficiency in their buildings. These include:
	 London, Kingsgate House
	Over the last 12 months the building management system has been enhanced with new control systems, upgraded time schedules and automated metering. This provides half-hourly energy readings to suppliers which enable savings to be made through improved customer monitoring. There is also a scheduled quarterly boiler maintenance plan to optimise efficiencies.
	 Sheffield, Moorfoot
	The current building is end of life. DCSF and DIUS are acquiring new accommodation in Sheffield for staff. Therefore, it has not been economically viable to make improvements to energy efficiency in this building. Energy efficiencies will naturally feature in the new building project that the Departments are currently pursuing to ensure maximum efficiency.
	 National Physical Laboratory Teddington (NPL)
	The NPL have installed comprehensive metering to identify where energy is being consumed and are also exploring the possibility of using ground source energy.
	 National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) Teddington
	The NWML have installed a smart meter to measure electricity consumption. This highlights areas where consumption is high giving an indication of poor thermal efficiency. The air conditioning system has been examined to establish areas where it can be switched off for periods of the day or week. Reflective film has been applied to the outside of the windows to reduce heat being radiated into glass and conducted into the metal frames. The heat is then reflected back into the building.
	 Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Newport and Cwmfelinfach
	The IPO have a building energy management system (BEMS) which provides control over the main heating, cooling and ventilation systems. This enables us to adjust the heating needed within specific areas of each building and identify where there may be poor thermal efficiency.
	The air conditioning system has been examined to establish areas where it can be switched off for periods of the day or week. Thermal efficiency has been increased by the introduction of 'tin foil' between the radiators and exterior walls to reflect the heat inwards in places where there are specific problems. Electric doors have been installed to isolate the loading bay and downward blowers have been put in place at exterior doorways to contain heat within the building. The IPO are also investigating insulating ceilings where this is cost-effective.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The Department's building services are provided through the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), who manage the buildings that DIUS occupies.
	DIUS was established in June of 2007. No baseline data exist for 1999-2000. As 2008-09 will be the first full year of reporting we cannot yet record improvements against a baseline. Therefore the 15 per cent. efficiency savings target is not applicable to DIUS. However DIUS is making improvements:
	 London
	Over the last 12 months the building management system has been enhanced with new control systems, upgraded time schedules and automated metering. This provides half-hourly energy readings to suppliers which enable savings to be made through improved customer monitoring. There is now also a scheduled quarterly boiler maintenance plan to optimise efficiencies.
	 Sheffield
	DCSF and DIUS are in the process of acquiring new accommodation in Sheffield. The existing building will be vacated before any improvements in energy efficiency could be realized. Energy efficiency will be a feature of the new accommodation project that the Departments are currently pursuing.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel has been used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies since his Department was established.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created on 28 June 2007. The total amount of electricity, gas and other fuel used in the Department's and its agencies' buildings are given in the following table. The figures for the Department itself are estimates, obtained by apportioning the energy consumption in each building according to the number of DIUS staff as a proportion of the total.
	
		
			  kWh 
			  Fuel type  Intellectual Property Office (agency) June 2007 to March 2009  National Weights and Measures Laboratory (agency) June 2007 to February 2009  DIUS London building June 2007 to  February 2009  DIUS Sheffield building June 2007 to  February 2009 
			 Electricity 5,912,250 995,257 3,184,181 1,795,272 
			 Gas 3,224,020 0 1,587,894 20,173 
			 Other fuel type 0 0 0 1,048,622 (steam)

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) Blackberrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department since its establishment;
	(2)  how many  (a) Blackberrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since its establishment.

Si�n Simon: Blackberry devices and mobile phones are provided to individuals while they are in post, and are recovered when the individual leaves.
	The Department currently provides a total of 222 Blackberry devices, split as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (i) Ministers 3 
			 (ii) Special Advisers 2 
			 (iii) Civil Servants 217 
		
	
	At the end of 2007/08, the Department was providing 182 Blackberry devices, split as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (i) Ministers 4 
			 (ii) Special Advisers 2 
			 (iii) Civil Servants 176 
		
	
	The Department currently provides a total of 256 mobile phones, split as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (i) Ministers 3 
			 (ii) Special Advisers 2 
			 (iii) Civil Servants 251 
		
	
	At the end of 2007/08, the Department was providing 56 mobile phones, split as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (i) Ministers 4 
			 (ii) Special Advisers 2 
			 (iii) Civil Servants 50 
		
	
	The cost of these devices is as follows:
	
		
			
			  Blackberrys  
			 Initial cost 136 
			 Monthly cost 19.50 
			   
			  Mobile phones  
			 Monthly cost 2.50 
		
	
	An analysis of the cost of calls split across the categories requested could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. The overall cost of calls for 2008/09 is 256,469 which is the cost of all Blackberry, mobile phone and 3G data card provision, once the regular monthly costs have been subtracted.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: The Department's annual non-consolidated performance payment for 2008-09 totalled 535,006 and was met within existing pay controls.
	Payments are used to drive high performance and those for the senior civil service are based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The latest capital expenditure figures for Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills are as follows:
	 (a) 2.2 billion
	 (b) 2.5 billion
	 (c)  1.8 billion
	 (d) The Government have not set Departments' Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (Public Sector Net Investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Publicity

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much is being spent on each form of advertising in the Train to Gain advertising campaign by  (a) the Learning and Skills Council and  (b) his Department.

Si�n Simon: National Marketing and Communications for Train to Gain is delivered by the national Learning and Skills Council (LSC) on behalf of the Department. The total Train to Gain spend on advertising for January to December 2008 was 7,716,021 including VAT. This is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Gross media spend, booked through the Central Office for Information 
			   Gross media spend () 
			 Digital 217,872 
			 Poster 561,558 
			 Radio 723,565 
			 TV 4,528,935 
			 Press 512,476 
			 VAT 1,145,271 
			 Total 7,689,677 
		
	
	
		
			  Media paid for directly by LSC 
			
			 Digital 2,000 
			 Press 20,398 
			 VAT 3,946 
			 Total 26,344

Departmental Recycling

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: The Department's waste services in 2007-08 were provided by Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) which manage the buildings that DIUS occupies. Neither of these organisations separates waste produced by DIUS from its waste, so information on the precise amount of waste produced by DIUS is not held.

Departmental Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of measuring compliance with its targets under its public service agreements in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) does not maintain information specifically identifying the separate costs of measuring compliance with its targets under its Public Service Agreements (PSAs). With the cost of generating this information being disproportionate, any costs of measuring compliance with the Department's targets under its PSAs, beyond those incurred in the normal course of managing its business and performance, are likely to be small.

Departmental Training

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: Voice coach training is not part of the core training and development offering available to staff in the Department. However, local managers are able to book external courses based on identified need and value for money. A search of local records would result in disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1095W, on departmental training, which Ministers attended  (a) foreign language lessons,  (b) the Cabinet Committees course,  (c) the European Union course and  (d) the media training course; in what foreign languages Ministers received lessons; and how much each of these courses cost.

Si�n Simon: Of the four courses referred to in my earlier answer the Cabinet Committee courses and European Union courses incurred no cost to the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills. The other two courses referred to in my earlier answer were foreign language lessons and media training. These cost 1,343 and 1,276 respectively.
	Identifying Ministers who undertake training would, or would be likely to, discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development.

Foreign Students: USA

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what changes have been made to the rules in respect of financial support for British students travelling to the US since the Prime Minister's article in  T he Wall Street Journal on 16 April 2008.

David Lammy: The Prime Minister said,
	I can give a commitment that British students who need financial support to pay the travel costs of taking up a term of study in the U.S. will receive that support.
	The provisions for eligible students travelling to the USA are as follows:
	A grant for travel is available to eligible students in respect of reasonable expenditure which they are obliged to incur in a qualifying quarter of their course, for the purpose of taking up a term of study at an overseas institution including one in the USA. A qualifying quarter is one in which the student is required to attend the overseas institution for at least half the length of the period covered by that quarter.
	The grant for travel meets the costs of:
	travel within and outside the UK in order to attend the university or college including airfares
	medical insurance for treatment provided outside the United Kingdom
	visas required to attend the overseas institution
	medical costs incurred to meet a mandatory condition of entry into a country (e.g. vaccination costs).
	Except for the first 295 of travel costs incurred, eligible students from households with incomes of up to 39,796 may be entitled to have all their reasonable travel related expenditure met by the grant for travel. Income over 39,796 is taken into account and reduces the amount of travel related expenditure that the grant will cover. Income is taken into account at the rate of 1 for each 9.27 over 39,796, subject to a maximum income contribution of 6,210.
	DIUS has responsibility for higher education in England only. The devolved Administrations have responsibility for it in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Further Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55W, on capital investment (further education colleges), whether colleges which have not yet received approval will be required to redesign capital funding projects in order to receive funding.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has already begun discussing options for prioritisation with the further education sector. Once the consultation is complete, the LSC will advise on options. Until that process is complete, it is not possible to say whether capital projects will be required to be redesigned. But the potential impact on college projects including the need for redesign will be considered fully when the LSC comes forward with proposals.

Higher Education: Disadvantaged

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has given to the merits of the provision of further and higher education institutions in all areas as a means of widening participation among non-traditional groups.

Si�n Simon: We are committed to improving choice and reducing barriers to ensure that there is fair access for all to the learning opportunities available. Further education operates across society, having a real impact on businesses, young people and adults, including those from disadvantaged and minority communities. In 2007-08, over 2.6 million people were participating in learning at a FE college.
	This Government are fully committed to ensuring every young person has a fair chance of attending university. And we are making progress with the proportion of young entrants from lower socio-economic groups going to university increasing steadily, reaching almost 30 per cent. in 2007. A New University Challenge, with an investment of up to 200 million, will establish new campuses, particularly in areas with no history of provision, and provide places for 10,000 extra students.
	In January 2009, the New Opportunities White Paper announced a wide-ranging package of investment and support from across Government for people to make the most of their potential throughout their lives giving them lifelong chances to succeed.

Innovation: Motor Vehicles

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what projects to develop more environmentally efficient private motor vehicles have been sponsored by his Department's Technology Strategy Board; and what progress has been made on those projects.

David Lammy: The technology strategy board's portfolio of collaborative R and D projects comprises DTI funded legacy projects that preceded its establishment as an executive body, and those funded under its low carbon vehicles innovation platform. The projects are typically of three year duration, and the following list includes the name of the lead consortium partner:
	 Legacy projects
	Enhanced Diesel Engine Lubrication Systems for Reduced C02 EmissionsFord Motor Company.
	2/4SIGHTDownsized 2 Stroke/4 Stroke switching engine for passenger carsRicardo.
	Energy Efficient Electric Urban TransportZytek Electric Vehicles.
	LIFECar-Morgan.
	Development of the rheo-diecasting process for lightweight automotive componentsInnoval.
	 Low carbon vehicle innovation p latform
	Axon 60: A structural carbon fibre car with plug-in hybrid optionAxon Automotive Ltd.
	Li-ion Batteries for Plug-In Hybrid Electric VehiclesFiFe Batteries Ltd.
	Engine optimisation for reduced parasitic lossesFord Motor Company Ltd.
	Commercial vehicle fuel and carbon reduction by the use of 'aerospace aero' devicesHatcher Components Limited.
	Flywheel Hybrid System for Premium VehiclesJaguar Cars Limited.
	Limo-GreenJaguar Cars Ltd.
	Lower Cost, Lightweight Vehicles by Increasing the Use of Post Consumer Aluminium ScrapJaguar Land Rover.
	Range Extended Electric Vehicle REHEVLand Rover.
	High torque density electric drive for commercial vehicles (HiTED)Magnomatics Ltd.
	2/4CAR 2/4-Stroke Switching Carbon Reduction VehicleRicardo UK Ltd.
	Lightweight lead Acid Battery for Low Carbon Vehicles (LAB-LCV)TWI Ltd.
	Adventurous R and D projects such as these have an element of uncertainty and risk by their very nature. Exploitation strategies, which are commercially confidential, setting out how the project consortium plans to exploit the results are a key component of the business case submitted to the technology strategy board and can include the development of new products or processes, the publication of results or the stimulation of further work.
	These strategies are re-visited during the course of the work and the technology strategy board have monitoring systems in place to encourage robust self-monitoring and to maximise exploitation during and beyond the project's life-time and to monitor the impact of projects at least five years after the end of the project.
	While the projects funded under the innovation platform are at a formative stage, a majority of the legacy projects such as those led by Zytek and Ford have already resulted in excellent technical outputs, while the Morgan LIFECar have been presented at the Geneva Motor Show and been featured extensively in the UK press and media. The technology strategy board will now work to ensure that where appropriate, technical advances are incorporated into the relevant company development plans.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what terms of reference Sir Andrew Foster has been given for his review of the Learning and Skills Council's capital budget.

Si�n Simon: We agreed with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) on 27 January that Sir Andrew Foster would undertake a review of the LSC further education capital programme to assess:
	the main causes of the increased demand for capital funding;
	the internal LSC processes and scrutiny of the capital programme and how these could be improved; and
	any further steps that can be taken to ensure that for the future the expectation and demand for capital funds are kept in line with budget requirements, bearing in mind the development of the Skills Funding Agency and Young People's Learning Agency, and the proper role of DIUS and DCSF for capital matters.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on the allocation of funding to training providers offering apprenticeships and Train to Gain places for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: Each autumn, in its annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) sets out the funding envelope for further education for the coming financial year. The grant letters published in October 2007 and November 2008 set out the planned investment for 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.
	The publication of the grant letter starts the allocations process, which is led by the LSC. The LSC enter into a dialogue with colleges and providers, to determine their allocation based on expected delivery of both adult learner responsive and employer responsive provision.
	This dialogue continues throughout the year, and during this time, the LSC and DIUS have regular discussions regarding the progress of the allocations process. Final allocations are made in the spring before the academic year to which they refer.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what factors have been taken into account in determining the remuneration for Learning and Skills Council staff responsible for processing applications for capital funding in the last three years.

Si�n Simon: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). I have asked Geoffrey Russell, the acting LSC chief executive, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Nuclear Engineering: Higher Education

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1902W, on engineering: higher education, for how many  (a) masters level and  (b) doctoral nuclear engineering course places commencing in 2009 is funding available.

David Lammy: Data at the level of detail requested by this question are not collected centrally. The following table sets out the overall numbers of chemical, process and energy engineering students at English higher education institutions over the last five years which would include nuclear engineering students. Data for 2009 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Academic year  Masters  Doctorates 
			 2003/04 935 605 
			 2004/05 865 645 
			 2005/06 870 630 
			 2006/07 920 665 
			 2007/08 725 865 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  2 Covers enrolments of all domiciles to both full-time and part-time courses.  3 Excludes the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of subject over the time series.   Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Postgraduate Education

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of students from universities awarded a charter  (a) before 1993 and  (b) in 1993 or after offer at least one course leading to a post-graduate qualification.

David Lammy: holding answer 9 February 2009
	The latest available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1 ) by level of study and institution typeUK higher education institutions, academic year 2007/08 
			   Old( 2)  New( 3) 
			 Enrolments 1,169,085 961,715 
			  Of which:   
			 Postgraduate 289,290 179,800 
			 Percentage postgraduate 24.7 18.7 
			 (1 )Covers enrolments of all domiciles to both full-time and part-time courses.  (2 )Covers pre-1992 universities.  (3 )Covers post-1992 universities.   Note:  Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Percentages are based on unrounded figures. Figures exclude Higher Education Colleges and the University of Buckingham, which is an independent institution.   Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Students: Fees and Charges

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students have had their university tuition fees met from public funds in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: All students who are eligible to pay the home rate of fee have their tuition fee subsidised by public funds in the form of HEFCE funding payable directly to the Higher Education Institution.
	
		
			  UK domiciled undergraduate students( 1)  enrolled in English higher e ducation  i nstitutions( 2) 
			  Academic y ear  Students 
			 2003-04 1,306,500 
			 2004-05 1,319,700 
			 2005-06 1,348,300 
			 2006-07 1,354,900 
			 2007-08 1,360,000 
			 (1) Covers students on both full-time and part time courses. (2) Includes the Open university.  Notes:  Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population.  Source:  HESA. 
		
	
	Additionally eligible students may apply for student support:
	 Students eligible for tuition fee g rants
	Students who entered higher education before 2006-07 may apply for a means tested tuition fee grant towards the cost of their tuition fees (up to 1,255 in 2008-09). The grant, paid from public funds, is paid direct to HE institutions, with students paying the balance of the tuition fee.
	
		
			  England( 1) 
			  Academic year  Full fee support  Partial fee support  Total( 2) 
			 2005-06 314,900 92,100 407,100 
			 2006-07 190,400 59,000 249,400 
			 2007-08 102,400 30,900 133,300 
			 2008-09 (provisional)(3) 30,300 8,600 38,800 
			 (1) English domiciled students studying in the UK. Data are not readily available for 2004-05. (2) Constituent parts may not add to totals due to rounding, figures are rounded to nearest 100. (3) 2008-09 figures are provisional and may increase substantially due to late applications.  Source:  Student loans company. 
		
	
	 Students with tuition fee l oans
	All students entering higher education since 2006-07 may apply for a non-means tested loan to cover the whole cost of their tuition fees. The loan is repaid after leaving university and when income is above 15,000. A loan is also available to pre-2006-07 entrants if they are required to contribute to their fees.
	
		
			  England( 1) 
			  Academic year  Pre-2006-07 entrants  Entered from 2006-07  Total( 2) 
			 2006-07 157,900 239,400 397,300 
			 2007-08 99,100 454,500 553,500 
			 2008-09 (provisional)(3) 31,200 682,500 713,700 
			 (1) English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU domiciled students studying in England. (2) Constituent parts may not add to totals due to rounding, figures are rounded to nearest 100. (3) 2008-09 figures are provisional and may increase substantially due to late applications.  Source:  Student loans company.

Students: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many publicly-funded places for first-time undergraduates there were in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and how many there are expected to be in 2009-10.

David Lammy: In 2007-08 there were 1,143,000 HEFCE-funded student places (in full-time equivalent terms). The mix of students between undergraduate and postgraduate courses is an institutional decision. In 2007-08 around 990,000 of the 1,143,000 places were undergraduate. We do not have information on how many of these were first-time undergraduates.
	2007-08 are the latest data we have on HEFCE-funded student numbers. DIUS funded an additional 20,000 places for core students in 2008-09, and a further 10,000 in 2009-10. Further information can be found in the 2009 HEFCE Grant Letter. We will not receive outturn data on the 2008-09 student population until early 2010.

Vocational Guidance: Internet

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many unique visitors the website www.careersadvice.direct.gov.uk had in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2007.

Si�n Simon: The number of unique visitors to the website:
	http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk
	were  (a) 6.9 million in 2008; and  (b) 5.4 million in 2007. The URL for the website changed from:
	http://learndirect-advice.co.uk
	to:
	http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk
	in September, 2008.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many learners were on Learning and Skills Council-funded work-based learning and Train to Gain provision at the end of each quarter of 2007-08; and what the average for each programme was in that year;
	(2)  how many learners were on advanced apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council at the end of each quarter of 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows the number of Train to Gain and work-based learning starts by quarter for the 2007/08 academic year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Train to Gain and work-based learning starts by quarter, 2007/08 
			  Quarter  Train to Gain starts  Work-based  learning starts( 1) 
			 August to  October 2007 73,100 102,600 
			 November 2007 to January 2008 75,800 48,500 
			 February to  April 2008 92,200 59,900 
			 May to July 2008 90,600 69,500 
			 2007/08 total 331,800 280,600 
			 (1) Apprenticeship starts have not historically been spread uniformly throughout the academic year. It is usual to see a peak in starts in the first quarter of the year, followed by a lower level of starts in the second quarter and then a gradual increase until the year end. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the number of advanced apprenticeship starts by quarter for the 2007/08 academic year.
	
		
			  Table 2: Advanced apprenticeship starts by quarter, 2007/08 
			  Quarter  Starts( 1) 
			 August to October 2007 28,000 
			 November 2007 to January 2008 11,600 
			 February to April 2008 15,800 
			 May to July 2008 17,500 
			 2007/08 Total 73,000 
			 (1) Apprenticeship starts have not historically been spread uniformly throughout the academic year. It is usual to see a peak in starts in the first quarter of the year, followed by a lower level of starts in the second quarter and then a gradual increase until the year end.   Notes:  1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred.  2. Figures for advanced apprenticeships include Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLA) to be consistent with information published in statistical first releases. HLA numbers are currently too small to include as a separate category.  3. Work-based learning figures include apprenticeships, Entry to Employment and a small number of NVQ learners.   Source:  WBL ILR 
		
	
	In World-Class Apprenticeships, we announced that we were changing the way we count apprenticeships, moving to counting the number of people starting an apprenticeship in the year ('starts') and the percentage who complete an apprenticeship ('completion rate').
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

Vocational Training

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what research his Department has  (a) evaluated and  (b) commissioned on the (i) effectiveness of skills training courses and (ii) the proportion of those completing such courses who gain employment related to such training within 12 months of completion in the last five years.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has, through the LSC, conducted a number of evaluations examining the effectiveness of skills training courses. These are as follows:
	 Published reports:
	Train to Gain evaluationwaves 1, 2 and 3
	 Evaluations currently in progress:
	Train to Gain wave 4
	Employability Skills Programme
	Apprenticeship for Adults and
	Skills for Jobs
	These reports are due to be published during summer 2009.
	Regarding outcomes; this information is not readily available for particular programmes or course, although one-off studies of leavers from FE have in the past looked at their destinations. This type of information will in future be collected using the Framework for Excellence learner destination survey with the first results for all FE colleges and work based learning providers available in spring 2009.
	These destination data are not measured for Train to Gain participants.

Young People: Unemployment

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) males aged between 16 and 18,  (b) females aged between 16 and 18,  (c) males aged between 19 and 24 and  (d) females aged between 19 and 24 were not in education, training or employment in England in the fourth quarter of each year since 1997.

Si�n Simon: The tables show estimates of people aged(1) 16 to 18 and 19 to 24 not in employment, education or training (NEET) in England. These estimates are from the Quarter 4 Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of NEETS has remained largely stable.
	We are unable to provide NEET estimates back to 1997 from the LFS as all the data necessary to produce them is not available on datasets prior to Quarter 2 2000.
	(1) Age used is the respondent's academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  16 to 18-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEET) 
			   Male  Female 
			   NEET  Percentage( 1)  NEET  Percentage 
			 2000 84,000 9.5 67,000 7.9 
			 2001 85,000 9.1 86,000 9.9 
			 2002 95,000 10.0 82,000 9.1 
			 2003 95,000 9.9 81,000 8.9 
			 2004 105,000 10.6 83,000 8.8 
			 2005 132,000 13.2 85,000 9.0 
			 2006 114,000 11.2 84,000 8.8 
			 2007 111,000 11.0 81,000 8.6 
			 2008 108,000 10.8 98,000 10.1 
			 (1) Percentages are given as a proportion of NEETS within each gender.  Source: Labour Force Survey, Quarter 4 
		
	
	
		
			  19 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEET) 
			   Male  Female 
			   NEET  Percentage  NEET  Percentage 
			 2000 156,000 9.3 322,000 18.8 
			 2001 187,000 10.9 305,000 17.5 
			 2002 175,000 10.0 307,000 17.3 
			 2003 178,000 9.8 312,000 17.3 
			 2004 207,000 11.1 349,000 18.9 
			 2005 244,000 12.8 376,000 20.0 
			 2006 247,000 12.6 364,000 18.8 
			 2007 226,000 11.2 364,000 18.4 
			 2008 256,000 12.5 395,000 19.7 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey, Quarter 4  Base: 19 to 24-year-olds, England

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 27 November 2008,  Official Report, column 666W, on departmental training, whether he has taken any personal training courses since that date.

Gordon Brown: No.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister how much expenditure was incurred in respect of the overseas visits he undertook  (a) between June and December 2007 and  (b) in 2008.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999, the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

Fred Goodwin

Frank Field: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions Sir Fred Goodwin has been invited to 10 Downing Street for  (a) official social engagements and  (b) meetings in each of the last five years.

Gordon Brown: Since June 2007, Sir Fred Goodwin attended a meeting of representatives of financial institutions on 15 April 2008. Details of this event are available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page15275
	A copy of this web page has been placed in the Library of the House.

G20

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister what visits he has made to each of the G20 countries since June 2007.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999, the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

Hospitals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Prime Minister what hospitals he has visited since becoming Prime Minister; and what the date of each visit was.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 959W.

Iraq: Inquiries

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has set a timetable for establishing an Iraq inquiry.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) during my Statement on Iraq on 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1239.

Ministers: Members Interests

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will allow the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests to initiate inquiries of his own volition.

Gordon Brown: The Government's position remains as set out in Investigating the conduct of Ministers: Government Response to the Committee's Seventh Report of Session 2007-08 (HC 1056). Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Ministers: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1137W, on Ministers: pay, how many Ministers have received severance pay in accordance with section 4 of the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 and have been re-appointed to a Ministerial position  (a) subsequently in the same Parliament and  (b) in a subsequent Parliament.

Gordon Brown: Details of all Ministers since 1997 are contained in editions of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House, and in the press notices of ministerial appointments issued by my Office.

National Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 3-4WS, on the National Security Forum, what assessment he made of the merits of obtaining expertise in civil nuclear security when selecting members of the National Security Forum.

Gordon Brown: The Forum members bring a breadth of experience and varied perspectives to the Government's thinking about national security. Where appropriate, Forum members will also be encouraged to call on selected experts outside Government for advice, support and specialist research.

Oral Questions: Government Responses

Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions since June 2007 he has asked a ministerial colleague to respond to Oral Questions to the Prime Minister; what the reason was on each occasion; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The information requested is a matter of public record and can be found in the  Official Report.

President Obama: Discussions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with President Obama on troop levels in Iraq;
	(2)  what discussions he has held with President Obama on co-operation with the United States of America on the current global economic situation.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Obama during our recent meetings. I refer the hon. Member to the joint press conferences I held with President Obama on 5 March 2009 and 1 April 2009. Transcripts of these are available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18514
	and
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18896
	Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.

Russia

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2137W.

Russia

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to visit Russia in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Gordon Brown: For security reasons, my future engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

USA

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse was of his recent visit to the United States of America.

Gordon Brown: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.

USA: Ballistic Missile Defence

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on missile defence  (a) facilities in the UK and  (b) deployment in the EU; if he will hold discussions on these matters when he next meets President Obama; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Obama during our recent meetings. I refer my hon. Friend to the joint press conferences I held with President Obama on 5 March 2009 and 1 April 2009. Transcripts of these are available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18514
	and
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18896
	Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Regional Community Sport

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in Sport England regional budgets on revenue and capital funding for regional community sport projects up to 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: England has streamlined its funding process, so funding will no longer be allocated regionally. These changes will help to realise savings of approximately 20 million over the next four years, which will allow reinvestment in community sport projects.
	The vast majority of Sport England's fundingnearly half a billion pounds over the next four yearswill be allocated to national governing bodies. This represents a significant change towards investment in grassroots sport, and NGBs will be funded on the basis of their potential to deliver against the strategic outcomes of grow, sustain and excel. Investment will in turn be directed by NGBs into areas where they believe it will best achieve their, and our, strategic outcomes. NGBs are currently taking decisions on where best to invest their money, and we are unable to provide a regional breakdown of this investment for 2009-10.
	This complements the huge amount of funding780 million nationally over the next three yearsthat is being invested in school sport. This will largely be channelled through local School Sport and County Sport Partnerships, and will deliver a real difference in the amount and quality of sport for children and young people across the country.

Tourism

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department provided for the promotion of England as a tourism destination in 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: In 2008-09 my Department gave VisitBritain 47.9 million, of which, 8.46 million went on England marketing.
	However this does not fully reflect the funding for all England activities because of 'shared services' like IT, HR and the fact that expenditure for improving the quality of our tourist accommodation and facilities counts as an industry service and not England marketing. In this exceptional year of restructuring it is not possible to give a detailed split between Britain and England spending for 2008-09.
	In 2008-09 the combined VisitBritain/VisitEngland corporate services budget was 6.25 million.

Tourism

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on policy to provide support for the tourism industry.

Andy Burnham: We have held a number of discussions with ministerial colleagues, including a recent meeting with my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, to discuss business support measures for the tourism industry, and with my hon. Friend the Minister for Borders and Immigration at the Home Office to review the effect of visa processes on inbound tourism.
	We will also be convening a joint meeting of ministerial colleagues shortly to discuss cross-cutting issues relevant to promoting the visitor economy.

Tourism

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the contribution of heritage in attracting tourists from overseas.

Barbara Follett: Market research carried out by VisitBritain indicates that heritage is one of the key motivators for those considering a visit to Britain. In the 2008 National Brand Index survey Britain is ranked as the 4th best nation (behind Egypt, Italy, and France) for built heritage which is therefore a real strength in our tourism offer.

Sport: North East England

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding he plans to provide for sport in the north-east in 2009-10.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England has streamlined its funding process, so funding will no longer be allocated regionally. These changes will help to realise savings of approximately 20 million over the next four years, which will allow reinvestment in community sport projects.
	The vast majority of Sport England's fundingnearly half a billion pounds over the next four yearswill be allocated to national governing bodies. This represents a significant change towards investment in grass roots sport, and NGBs will be funded on the basis of their potential to deliver against the strategic outcomes of grow, sustain and excel. Investment will in turn be directed by NGBs into areas where they believe it will best achieve their, and our, strategic outcomes. NGBs are currently taking decisions on where best to invest their money, and we are unable to provide a regional breakdown of this investment for 2009-10.
	This complements the huge amount of funding780 million nationally over the next three yearsthat is being invested in school sport. This will largely be channelled through local school sport and county sport partnerships, and will deliver a real difference in the amount and quality of sport for children and young people across the country.

Local News Media

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to provide support for local news organisations.

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to support the provision of local news services.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton).

Apprenticeships

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on provision of apprenticeships in the tourism sector.

Barbara Follett: High quality provision of apprenticeships is an important part of the national skills strategy for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. My Department has received detailed recommendations from the industry, through People 1st, on how to achieve this.
	I chair the Monitoring and Implementation Group for this strategy, and a senior official from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is represented on that group.
	In addition, I will shortly be convening a meeting of ministerial colleagues to discuss issues relevant to the tourism industry, and a DIUS Minister is being invited.

Newspaper Advertising

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with representatives of the newspaper industry on advertisements for sexual services in local newspapers.

Barbara Follett: The Minister for Women and Equality convened a meeting with the Newspaper Society on 1 November 2007 to talk about how to combat sex trafficking. The Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism attended that meeting.
	Subsequently, the Newspaper Society updated and strengthened the legal advice and guidance it provides to publishers on accepting personal ads. Among other things, this warns publishers to be wary of ads, such as for massage parlours, which may disguise sexual services.

Regional Theatres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to support regional theatres.

Barbara Follett: Arts Council England plan to invest 318 million in theatre across England between 2008-09 and 2010-11.
	The recently launched A Night Less Ordinary scheme will provide 618 000 free theatre tickets to under-26-year-olds over the next two years.
	My Department is supporting this initiative, which will help theatres fill their seats while building the audience of the future.

London Olympics

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what opportunities his Department is making available to local authorities to encourage sporting and cultural activities in connection with the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport and culture play a significant role in plans for the Olympic and Paralympic games and Olympic Legacy.
	As part of wider Government plans for getting two million people more active for 2012, we will get one million more people playing sport. 80 local authorities have signed up to having National Indicator 8 on Sport and Active Recreation, and nearly 300 are participating in the Government's Free Swimming Programme. In addition, Sport England will be having several themed (e.g. the first round recently targeted at rural communities) rounds of funding over the next four years, up to 30 million per year, which will be open to local authorities to bid for.
	Local authorities have also already played a role in the delivery of the Cultural Olympiad, which aims to provide opportunities for a variety of organisations involved in culture to be part of the cultural celebrations linked to the games, and we expect they will continue to do so.
	Following the success of 'Open Weekend' last year to celebrate the launch of the Cultural Olympiad, July 24 to 26 2009 will see the 'London 2012 Open Weekend' taking place across the country, and I encourage local authorities to get involved with local cultural, sporting and sustainability-related events over the weekend to celebrate London 2012 in the heart of our communities.

Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licensees have had their licence revoked for selling alcohol to an under-age person in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Statistical bulletins on licences to sell alcohol include the number of premises licences and club premises certificates revoked, but do not indicate the reason why. Licences and certificates may be revoked on review for one or more reasons relating to the four licensing objectives, including sales of alcohol to children.
	The first DCMS Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment, under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 reported that there were 675 completed reviews between April 2006 and March 2007(1). Following which, 91 licences or certificates were suspended, 92 licences were revoked or club premises certificates withdrawn, and 52 Designated Premises Supervisors were removed (Premises Licences only). It is not known which of these suspensions, revocations, withdrawals or removals related to underage sales.
	The second statistical bulletin, covering the period between April 2007 and March 2008, reported that there were 1,008 completed reviews for England and Wales(2). 396 of these completed reviews were carried out for reasons relating to the protection of children from harm (based on 91 per cent. of returns), but it is unknown if they relate to a one-off case of selling alcohol to children or the persistent selling of alcohol to children. The number of suspensions, revocations, withdrawals or removals following these completed reviews is unknown. However, following all completed reviews 167 licences or certificates were suspended, 155 licences were revoked or club premises certificates withdrawn and 102 designated premises supervisors were removed(3).
	Since 6 April 2007, in addition to actions following reviews, 18 premises licences were suspended by a court under Section 147B(1) of the Licensing Act 2003 (as amended by the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006) for the sale or supply of alcohol, following an offence of persistently selling to underage children.
	Prior to the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003, data on the number of alcohol licences revoked in England and Wales were collected by petty sessional division (magistrates court areas), on a triennial basis. Between July 2003 to June 2004, there were a total of 354 revocations of on and off-licences. Again, it is not known how many revocations related to underage sales.
	(1 )Based on returns from 85 per cent. of licensing authorities in England and Wales.
	(2 )Based on 97 per cent. of returns.
	(3 )Based on around 94 per cent. of returns.

Bookmakers: Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to regulate the use of betting exchanges as a means of avoiding requirements on bookmakers in relation to licensing and levy contributions.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 April 2009
	The operators of betting exchanges located in Great Britain are regulated by, and require a licence from, the Gambling Commission, and are required to contribute to the Horserace Betting Levy. Any person providing facilities for gambling in Great Britain who uses betting exchanges in the course of business requires a remote operating licence from the commission, and any bookmaker who carries on a business which includes horse race betting transactions is required to contribute to the Horserace Betting Levy.
	I am aware of some concerns around compliance in this area and my officials are exploring these issues with relevant bodies and licensed operators.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has been following the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme for three years.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel was used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The electricity, gas and other fuel used by the Department and The Royal Parks on its office estate is detailed as follows.
	
		
			  Department for Culture, Media and Sport 
			  Kwh 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other Fuel 
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 4,368,192 3,275,860 0 
			 2004-05 4,186,267 2,643,861 0 
			 2005-06 4,438,625 2,488,443 0 
			 2006-07 4,320,106 2,631,318 0 
			 2007-08 3,647,784 2,135,379 0 
			 April 2008 to February 2009 2,881,646 1,240,516 0 
		
	
	
		
			  The Royal Parks 
			  Kwh 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other Fuel 
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2004-05 4,141,338 1,275,682 0 
			 2005-06 3,346,056 1,402,580 0 
			 2006-07 3,220,032 1,505,334 0 
			 2007-08 2,995,048 1,490,492 0 
			 2008-09 n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	Data are not available prior to April 2004 and since April 2008 The Royal Parks have not recorded data on kwh consumed.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The latest estimate of the capital spending by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport excluding the Olympics can be seen in the table.
	
		
			  Total capital spending excluding the Olympics 
			   000 
			 2008-09 235,353 
			 2009-10 182,400 
			 2010-11 181,400 
		
	
	Spending plans for 2011-12 are not yet available.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1888W, on departmental training, which Ministers have attended the Action Learning Set course; and what the cost of the course was.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The cost of the course was 500.
	Identifying Ministers who undertake training would, or would be likely to, discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many training courses were taken by  (a) civil servants and  (b) Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost of training was in each year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS is committed to developing our staff and also ensuring that they have the right skills and expertise to enable them to work effectively.
	
		
			   Training c ourses  Cost () 
			  (a) Staff   
			 2006-07 126 737,782.94 
			 2007-08 183 841,383.13 
			 2008-09 358 578,037.84 
			
			  (b) Ministers   
			 2006-07 2 1,260 
			 2007-08 2 450 
			 2008-09 6 3,191.84

Gambling

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much it cost his Department to maintain its White List of countries permitted to advertise gambling services in the UK in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The advertising provisions of the Gambling Act 2005, including the arrangements for whitelisting under section 331, only came into effect in September 2007. Much of the assessment work was carried out by DCMS officials with input from legal advisers, the Gambling Commission, HM Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. As a result it is not possible to give a full and detailed assessment of costs.

Local Press

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with representatives of press and broadcasting organisations on the future of weekly and regional newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I have recently had discussions with the Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society; and the National Union of Journalists Parliamentary Group.
	I shall be holding a summit shortly to discuss local media provision.

Swimming: Concessions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many swimming pools offering free swimming to over 60 year olds do so only after 9.00 am.;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of over 60 year olds who have been provided with free swimming; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Around 10 million people aged 60 or over in England stand to benefit from the Government's Free Swimming programme. We will be monitoring closely the impact of the scheme on levels of participation.
	Nearly 300 local authorities will be offering free swimming to those aged 60 or over. This means that people in that age group who wish to swim, at any time throughout the year, when they would normally be admitted to the pool for public swimming, and in accordance with local programming, should not be charged for doing so. Beyond that condition of grant funding, we have not been prescriptive on how participating local authorities should deliver their offer locally.

Swimming: Concessions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many swimming pools in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England are taking part in the free swimming initiatives.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We estimate that approximately  (a) 38 swimming pools in Lancashire and  (b) over 1,000 swimming pools in England are taking part in the Government's Free Swimming programme. We will be collecting information from participating local authorities on free swimming in their pools as part of our monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

Television: Licensing

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners over the age of 75 years resident in Houghton and Washington East constituency received a free television licence in 2008.

Andy Burnham: TV Licensing, which administers free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, advises that it is not able to provide breakdowns by constituency of the number of free licences issued.

Tourism: South West

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Torbay of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 461-2W, on tourism: South West, how much of the 3.5 million will have been provided to each regional development agency between 2008 and 2011;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1340-1W, on tourism: South West, how much of the 3.5 million funding was allocated to each regional development agency.

Barbara Follett: holding answers 18 and 23 March 2009
	Funding for regional development agencies (RDAs) is not ring-fenced for particular economic sectors, such as tourism. However, in each year since 2003-04, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has contributed 3.6 million to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's (DBERR's) Single Programme budget (the Single Pot) in respect of the tourism responsibilities of the eight RDAs outside London.
	The Single Pot, which will total approximately 2.2 billion, 2.2 billion and 2.1 billion in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively, is allocated among the RDAs by DBERR. DCMS's contribution will be 3.5 million, 3.4 million and 3.3 million in these years.

Tourism: Summertime

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received from the tourism industry on daylight saving.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 1 April 2009
	My Department has received representations on the merits of daylight saving from the Tourism Alliance, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions and other members of the attractions sector. I discussed this issue at a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. McFadden) at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and industry representatives on 8 November 2008.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Age: Discrimination

Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of  (a) levels of public support for and  (b) potential harmful consequences of the marketing of (i) products and (ii) holidays directly to specific age groups.

Maria Eagle: The consultation paper A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain (June 2007), called for evidence of unfair age discrimination in the supply of goods, facilities and services. The majority of the nearly 750 responses on this issue (around 80 per cent.) were in favour of legislation to tackle harmful age discrimination outside the workplace, but only a small number of respondents felt that the marketing of products and holidays to specific age groups was discriminatory and very few felt that such marketing was harmful.
	We have been taking forward discussions with relevant representatives of industry and stakeholders with an interest in age discrimination to better understand the benefits and consequences of the ban on age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services we are including in the Equality Bill. These discussions have helped us develop an approach which takes account of the need to ensure that the legislation does not prevent service providers offering age-specific goods and services where this is beneficial or can be justified. We will consult on our detailed proposals for the exceptions from the ban on age discrimination in the summer.

Age: Discrimination

Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent assessment she has made of her policy on  (a) age-based concessions in the insurance industry and  (b) age limits on group holidays.

Maria Eagle: We have always been clear that the legislation banning age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and servicesto be included in the Equality Billwill bite on harmful age discrimination and allow justifiable and beneficial age-based practices to continue.
	The legislation will not prevent different treatment on grounds of age in the provision of insurance, where this is based on actuarial evidence. Nor will it prevent holidays for particular age groups.
	Consideration of how to frame the legislation is continuing, taking account of relevant evidence such as the October 2008 report of the Financial Services Expert Working Group established by Government to provide and analyse evidence of the implications and impacts of outlawing age discrimination, and recent research published by the Association of British Insurers in March 2009. In addition, the Government Equalities Office has recently commissioned additional independent research to explore this area further.
	We will consult on our detailed proposals for the exceptions from the ban on age discrimination in the summer.

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with which banks the Government Equalities Office has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office has not held any contracts with banks for the provision of financial advice.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 335-6W, on manpower: Equality and Human Rights Commission, how many staff who were paid  (a) between 50,000 and 100,000 and  (b) over 100,000 a year were employed by the (i) Disability Rights Commission, (ii) Equal Opportunities Commission and (iii) Commission for Racial Equality in their last full year of existence.

Maria Eagle: The total number of staff employed by each of the legacy commissions in their last full year of existence (2006-07) and who were  (a) paid between 50,000 and 100,00 and  (b) paid over 100,000 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   (a) paid between 50,000 and 100,000  (b) paid over 100,000 
			 (i) Disability Rights Commission 11 1 
			 (ii)Equal Opportunities Commission 7 1 
			 (iii) Commission for Racial Equality 13 1

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 335-6W, on manpower: Equality and Human Rights Commission, what the staffing costs are for each department of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Maria Eagle: The staff costs for 2008-09 by Directorate within the Equality and Human Rights Commission is shown as follows. This information is the best estimate available.
	
		
			   Total (000) 
			 Corporate Management 6,240 
			 Commissioners Office 1,238 
			 Communications 5,498 
			 Legal 3,612 
			 Strategy and Research 3,993 
			 Scotland 1,303 
			 Transition Team 464 
			 Wales 1,255 
			 Totals 23,603

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the  (a) pay band of and  (b) cash equivalent pension transfer value accrued by each member of the senior management board of the Commission of Equality and Human Rights is; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The information asked for under  (a) will be part of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for the transition period of October 2007 to March 2008. The Commission intend that the Annual Report is laid before Parliament before the summer recess.
	The cash equivalent transfer value information  (b) will also appear in the remuneration report section of the Annual Report and Accounts.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 335-6W, on manpower: Equality and Human Rights Commission, how many staff of the Equality and Human Rights Commission are paid  (a) between 50,000 and 100,000 and  (b) over 100,000 a year.

Maria Eagle: As of 31 March 2009, the number of staff employees of the Equality and Human Rights Commission paid:
	 (a) between 50,000 and 100,000 was 28; and
	 (b) over 100,000 was three.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in her Office in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Chris Bryant: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Cabinet Office.
	It would not be possible to provide information prior to 2007 without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) Blackberrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in her Office in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many  (a) Blackberrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in her Office in each year since 2005.

Chris Bryant: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Cabinet Office.
	It would not be possible to provide information prior to 2007 without incurring a disproportionate cost.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Departmental Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the Church Commissioners' own administration costs were in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Stuart Bell: Expenditure for the Commissioners' administration of national Church functions, governance, restructuring and rent, refurbishment and repairs to Commissioners' offices were 4.9 million in 2006 and 6.6 million in 2007.

Departmental Land

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many acres of agricultural land were sold by the Church Commissioners in each year from 2000 to 2008.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners do not record this information and could not establish it retrospectively without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Land

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how much the Church Commissioners received on average per acre of agricultural land they sold in each year since 2000.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners do not record average proceeds per acre but I can tell the hon. Gentleman that total proceeds for agricultural land for each year between 2001 and 2007 were as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2001 7 
			 2002 5.9 
			 2003 5.3 
			 2004 15.6 
			 2005 6.1 
			 2006 36.2 
			 2007 59.7 
		
	
	In 2000, agricultural sales were not recorded separately so the total proceeds for the year (11.2 million) represents a mixture of agricultural and residential sales.
	Figures for 2008 are not yet fully audited; they will be published in May.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many people the Church Commissioners employ directly; and at what annual salary cost.

Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners are a joint employer of most staff of the National Church Institutions. They also employ staff engaged in local property management.
	In 2007, the last year for which fully audited figures are available, the number of staff for which the Commissioners were the managing employer averaged 174, at a salary cost of 4 million (not including employer's national insurance and pension contributions).

Property Development

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what proposed property development schemes the Church Commissioners are participating in.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners' strategic land portfolio comprises about 40 property development schemes located throughout England. Of the few that are being developed, the Commissioners have agreements in place with developers for them to take forward the schemes at their risk. Most are pre-development, comprising sites which have yet to be allocated for development in a development plan, those allocated without planning permission, and those with planning permission but yet to be developed. In the hon. Gentleman's constituency, the Commissioners are jointly promoting the Bognor Regis Eco Quarter proposal with other landowners. This is part of Option 1 in the Arun District Council's current development options consultation exercise.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) troops in contact incidents and  (b) indirect fire events were recorded in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each month of the last three years.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from John Hutton to Gerald Howarth:
	I am writing to provide you with the information promised in my holding reply to your Parliamentary Question regarding troops in contact incidents and indirect fire events in Iraq and Afghanistan (Official Record, 4 February 2009, column 1257W).
	The Ministry of Defence has recently completed a review of the data required to answer this question, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.
	 Afghanistan
	The numbers of troops in contact events, regardless of the instigator, involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province as part of Task Force Helmand for each complete month from March 2006 to February 2009 for which verified data are available are shown below.
	
		
			   2006( 1)  2007( 1)  2008( 1)  20091 
			 January  60 70 180 
			 February  100 70 180 
			 March 10 140 80  
			 April 0 70 50  
			 May 0 120 60  
			 June 10 110 80  
			 July 120 130 110  
			 August 100 130 200  
			 September 100 130 180  
			 October 40 90 170  
			 November 40 110 200  
			 December 50 130 220  
			 (1 )Rounded to the nearest 10 
		
	
	The numbers of indirect fire events, regardless of the instigator, involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province as part of Task Force Helmand for each complete month from March 2006 to February 2009 for which verified data are available are shown below.
	
		
			   2006( 1)  2007( 1)  2008( 1)  2009( 1) 
			 January  40 30 40 
			 February  50 30 40 
			 March 10 80 50  
			 April 0 40 30  
			 May 0 30 30  
			 June 10 30 40  
			 July 40 50 50  
			 August 70 50 60  
			 September 80 40 50  
			 October 20 60 20  
			 November 20 70 40  
			 December 30 70 60  
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 10 
		
	
	ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside Afghan Army and Police units. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
	 Iraq
	The numbers of troops in contact events, regardless of the instigator, involving Multinational Forces and insurgents in Multi-National Division (South East) (MND (SE)) for each complete month from March 2006 to February 2009 for which verified data are available are shown below.
	
		
			   2006( 1)  2007( 1)  2008( 1)  2009( 1) 
			 January  110 10 0 
			 February  200 0 0 
			 March 20 140 0  
			 April 30 80 10  
			 May 20 120 0  
			 June 30 140 0  
			 July 50 130 0  
			 August 40 60 0  
			 September 50 10 0  
			 October 80 10 0  
			 November 100 0 0  
			 December 150 10 0  
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 10 
		
	
	The numbers of indirect fire events, regardless of the instigator, involving Multinational Forces and insurgents in MND (SE) for each complete month from March 2006 to February 2009 for which verified data are available are shown below.
	
		
			   2006( 1)  2007( 1)  2008( 1)  2009( 1) 
			 January  10 30 0 
			 February  120 30 0 
			 March 20 90 30  
			 April 50 120 10  
			 May 40 180 0  
			 June 30 200 0  
			 July 60 230 10  
			 August 60 120 0  
			 September 60 10 0  
			 October 90 20 0  
			 November 70 10 0  
			 December 100 20 0 0 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 10 
		
	
	Multinational Forces operating in MND (SE) come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside the Iraqi Security Forces. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by Multinational Forces.
	All data shown above are data based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment.
	I hope that the above information addresses your concerns on this matter.
	I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contacts between British and anti-coalition militia forces there have been in Helmand province in each roulement since June 2006.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from John Hutton to Liam Fox:
	I am writing to provide you with the information promised in my holding replies to your Parliamentary Questions regarding contacts between British forces and anti-coalition militia in Afghanistan (Official Report, 24 February 2009, column 520W).
	The Ministry of Defence has recently completed a review of the data required to answer this question, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.
	The numbers of troops in contact events, regardless of the instigator, involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province as part of Task Force Helmand for each complete month from June 2006 to February 2009 for which verified data are available are provided in the table below.
	
		
			   2006( 1)  2007( 1)  2008( 1)  2009( 1) 
			 January  60 70 180 
			 February  100 70 180 
			 March  140 80  
			 April  70 50  
			 May  120 60  
			 June 10 110 80  
			 July 120 130 110  
			 August 100 130 200  
			 September 100 130 180  
			 October 40 90 170  
			 November 40 110 200  
			 December 50 130 220  
			 (1 )Rounded to the nearest 10 
		
	
	ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside Afghan Army and Police units. Without undertaking a detailed assessment of each engagement, it is not possible precisely to define in every case whether an attack was aimed at UK forces, at our ISAF partners, or against Afghan units. Data are therefore collected on the number of incidents involving ISAF forces in Helmand without attempting to identify the nationality of the forces actually being attacked. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
	These data are based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast- moving multinational operational environment.
	I hope that the above information addresses your concerns on this matter.
	I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military engagements there have been between UK armed forces and Taliban insurgents in the last two months

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from John Hutton to Michael Ancram:
	I am writing to provide you with the information promised in my holding reply to your Parliamentary Question regarding military engagements between UK armed forces and the Taleban (Official Record, 23 March 2009, Column 10W).
	The Ministry of Defence has recently completed a review of the data required to answer this question, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.
	The number of engagements, regardless of the instigator, involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province as part of Task Force Helmand, for the last two complete months for which verified data is available are provided below.
	January 2009(1)210
	February 2009(1)200
	(1)( )Rounded to the nearest 10
	ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside Afghan Army and Police units. Without undertaking a detailed assessment of each engagement, it is not possible precisely to define in every case whether an attack was aimed at UK forces, at our ISAF partners, or against Afghan units. Data are therefore collected on the number of incidents involving ISAF forces in Helmand without attempting to identify the nationality of the forces actually being attacked. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
	These data are based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment.
	I hope that the above information addresses your concerns on this matter.
	I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel at each grouping of rank served in Operation  (a) Herrick 4,  (b) Herrick 5,  (c) Herrick 6 and  (d) Herrick 7; how many who served in each have been treated for (i) psychological disorders, (ii) post-traumatic stress disorder and (iii) physical injuries; and how many have been discharged as a consequence of (A) a psychological disorder and (B) a physical injury.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 31 March 2009
	Data on the total number of personnel at each rank deployed on Operation Herrick 4-7 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers( 1)  UK armed forces( 2)  personnel at each rank who have been identified as serving on Operation Herrick 4-7( 3,4) 
			  Rank  Number deployed on Op Herrick prior to April 2007  Number deployed on Op Herrick 6-7 
			 Total 19,340 27,420 
			
			 Officers 3,520 4,830 
			  By rank( 5) :   
			 Brigadier and above 50 90 
			 Colonel 110 170 
			 Lieutenant Colonel 400 480 
			 Major 1,080 1,430 
			 Captain 1,630 2,180 
			 Lieutenant and below 250 480 
			
			 Other ranks 15,330 22,590 
			  By rank( 5) :   
			 Warrant Officer 790 1,190 
			 Staff Sergeant 1,200 1,600 
			 Sergeant 2,060 2,750 
			 Corporal 3,240 4,330 
			 Lance Corporal 2,070 3,770 
			 Private 5,970 8,950 
			
			 Unknown ranks(5) 490 * 
			 (1) All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, with figures of 5 or below denoted by *, totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sum of their rounded parts. (2) UK armed forces personnel includes UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel and mobilised reservists. (3) Due to data quality issues it is not possible to separate data for roulements 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Op Herrick. (4) All data are provisional and subject to review. (5) All rank information is based on NATO rank and includes equivalent ranks in the Naval Service and RAF. Rank shown is rank on outflow. 
		
	
	34 UK armed forces personnel attended the UK field hospital during Herrick 4-7 for psychiatric reasons. Due to the small number it is not possible to provide attendances for psychiatric reasons by roulement.
	The number of personnel who were referred to a Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) in 2007 following deployment on Operation Herrick 4-7 is provided in the following table. Of the 414 who were assessed as having a psychological disorder, 47 were diagnosed with PTSD.
	
		
			  New attendances at a DCMH in 2007 by Herrick roulement( 1)  and initial assessment diagnosis 
			   Herrick roulement 
			  Initial assessment  Herrick 4-5  Herrick 6( 2) 
			 Psychological disorder 180 234 
			  Of which:   
			 PTSD 25 22 
			 (1) These figures show the number of new attendees who have been identified as deployed to Herrick prior to their first referral at a DCMH. (2) Includes 156 people who had also deployed to Herrick 4-5, of which 10 had PTSD. 
		
	
	Five armed forces personnel who have returned to the UK for treatment from Op Herrick 4-7 have been medically discharged for mental and behavioural disorders.
	2,141 armed forces personnel attended the UK Field Hospital during Herrick 4-7 for physical injuries. The following table provides the breakdown by roulement.
	
		
			  Op Herrick 4-7 UK military initial field hospital attendances for physical injuries, numbers( 1) 
			  Roulement  Physical injuries 
			 All 2,141 
			 Herrick 4 369 
			 Herrick 5 487 
			 Herrick 6 691 
			 Herrick 7 594 
			 (1) Data source: Operational Emergency Department Attendance Register (OpEDAR) 
		
	
	A proportion of those with physical injuries were returned to the UK for treatment. Since October 2007 these patients have been tracked through their care. For those deployed on Herrick 7 178 personnel were returned to the UK for treatment of their injury.
	Of the 178 personnel who were returned to the UK for treatment, eight have since been medically discharged for injury related-conditions.
	It should be noted, that the medical discharge may not be as a result of their injury in Afghanistan and Medical Boards do not make decisions on attributability to service.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel at each grouping of rank who served in Operation  (a) Herrick 4,  (b) Herrick 5,  (c) Herrick 6 and  (d) Herrick 7 have left the armed forces.

John Hutton: holding answer 1 April 2009
	Data on the number of deployed personnel at each rank broken down individually for each of Operations HERRICK 4, 5, 6 and 7 and who have left the armed forces are not available and as such could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of  (a) 51 mm and  (b) 81 mm mortar ammunition of all natures were used in Operation (i) Herrick 4, (ii) Herrick 5, (iii) Herrick 6 and (iv) Herrick 7.

John Hutton: holding answer 1 April 2009
	Officials are collating and validating the data needed and this is taking longer than anticipated. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what forewarning the US military gives to British armed forces commanders in Afghanistan of  (a) Predator unmanned aerial vehicle attacks into Pakistan and  (b) Predator unmanned aerial vehicle flights originating within Pakistan.

John Hutton: British armed forces personnel in Afghanistan are not forewarned of alleged US Predator unmanned aerial vehicle attacks into Pakistan or whether Predator unmanned aerial vehicle flights over Afghanistan originate within Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from The First Battalion The Rifles have sustained injuries in Afghanistan in the category of  (a) very seriously injured,  (b) seriously injured,  (c) temporary incapacitating illness and  (d) injury unlisted.

John Hutton: Since the Rifles formed on 1 February 2007, up to 28 March 2009, there have been two very seriously injured (VSI) and one seriously injured (SI) casualty from 1 Rifles in Afghanistan. We do not publish data on less severe injuries, so this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training on improvised explosive devices is provided to armed forces personnel assigned to duties in Afghanistan before deployment; what percentage of infantry personnel received such training before deployment in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: All personnel deploying to theatre, including infantry, undertake either collective or individual reinforcement training, which includes counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) training. During pre-deployment training, they are given training in current tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to deal with IEDs. These TTPs are constantly being improved in theatre, and the training conducted prior to deployment reflects the latest developments. A number of individuals are then given more in depth training on the use of specialist equipment for detection of other explosive devices. Training for patrolling skills includes detailed improvised explosive device awareness and avoidance techniques in both the mounted and dismounted roles.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been  (a) seriously and  (b) very seriously (i) injured and (ii) wounded by improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

John Hutton: Since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001 and up to the 15 March 2009, the latest date for which statistics are available, 82 UK service personnel have suffered very serious injuries (VSI) and 103 have suffered serious injuries (SI). These figures include all injured personnel, regardless of the mechanism or circumstances of their injury.
	I am withholding further information on the numbers of personnel injured by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) compile statistics on the number of operational casualties in the UK armed forces, the latest reports are available at the following websites:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Operations Factsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Operations Factsheets/OperationsInIraqBritishCasualties.htm
	DASA update the casualty tables fortnightly, a fortnight in arrears on the MOD website.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tasks private contractors are undertaking in Afghanistan on behalf of his Department.

John Hutton: The main tasks undertaken in Afghanistan by private contractors listed as working for the Ministry of Defence are: troop welfare, leisure and retail services, logistics, provision of catering supplies, and works and maintenance services.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of UK service personnel deployed in Afghanistan are engaged in tackling heroin production.

John Hutton: UK troops, as part of International Security Assistance Force, support Afghan security forces to target narcotic traffickers and facilities that are supporting the insurgency. UK forces have also provided support to both the Poppy Eradication Force and the Governor-led eradication plan within Helmand province. The number of UK troops engaged in such activities varies both on a day-to-day basis and also by season.

Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the  (a) purchase and  (b) use on operations of personal kit by members of the armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: Armed forces policy states that service personnel are not encouraged, at any time, to buy any items of personal protection. No service person is authorised or would be allowed, to deploy to any theatre with any item of protection which has not been issued by MOD.
	MOD seeks to provide all necessary items of equipment, but while there is no need to do so, we are aware that some personnel personalise, and occasionally supplement some of their issued kit. This is purely due to personal preference, and supporting guidance to ensure the safety and welfare of all personnel is issued by the chain of command in each theatre.

Armed Forces Pay Review Body

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 53W, on Armed Forces Pay Review Body, from which budgets he plans to allocate the funding for that component of the pay award which is in excess of his Department's planning assumptions of 2.5 per cent. referred to at paragraph 2.13 of the 2009 Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.

John Hutton: The MOD's planning assumption included a 2.5 per cent. pay bill increase in 2009-10; 2 per cent. for the core pay settlement and 0.5 per cent. for targeted measures. The Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendations, which were accepted in full, provide for a 2.8 per cent. core pay settlement and 0.5 per cent. for targeted measures, bringing the total award to 3.3 per cent. Provision for the additional 0.8 per cent. above the planning assumption, which equates to some 65 million, has been generated from within the Defence programme as a whole during the current planning round.

Armed Forces Pay Review Body

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure by his Department above its 2.5 per cent. financial planning assumption increase necessary fully to implement the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body for 2009; and from which sources within the defence budget this funding will be drawn.

John Hutton: The armed forces Pay Review Body's recommendations, which were accepted by the MOD in full, provide for a 2.8 per cent. core pay settlement and 0.5 per cent. for targeted measures, bringing the total award to 3.3 per cent. Provision for the additional 0.8 per cent. above the planning assumption, which equates to some 65 million, has been generated from within the Defence programme as a whole during the current planning round.

Armed Forces: Career Development

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what opportunities exist for non-commissioned personnel to become commissioned officers in the armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: There are many opportunities for non-commissioned personnel to become commissioned officers in the armed forces and I have provided this information for each service as follows:
	 Naval Services
	The Royal Navy runs several schemes to provide opportunities for the promotion of RN and RM Other Ranks to commissioned ranks. These personnel compete along side non-service candidates and must pass selection by the Admiralty Interview Board. The schemes are: Upper Yardmen and Royal Marine Corps Commissions to provide opportunities for promotion to commissioned ranks open to those aged under 26; and RN Senior Upper Yardman and RM Senior Corps Commission open to those over the age of 26.
	 Army
	 Soldier Commissions
	The Army commissions soldiers from the ranks, selecting those judged to have sufficient leadership potential, to attend the standard commissioning course. Both direct entry (DE) and soldier commission candidates are assessed and then selected at the Army Officer Selection Board, Westbury thereby assuring a level method of selection and quality.
	 Late Entry Commissions
	For those who are not selected for a direct entry commission from the ranks, then after nine years service (from age 21), and having attained the rank of sergeant, all soldiers are eligible to apply for a late entry (LE) commission up to 44 years of age (waivers can be applied for older applicants).
	 Direct Entry/Late Entry Balanc e
	Over the last decade, the Army has adjusted its balance from 25 per cent. LE/75 per cent. DE to 33 per cent. LE/67 per cent. DE as greater demand for LE officers has emerged. LE officers do have differing terms of service from DE officers, principally to accelerate their promotion given their average commissioning age of 40. They are widely employed and compete up to the rank of Lt Col with DE officers for appointments.
	 RAF
	 Internal Commissioning Scheme (ICS)
	Serving personnel in the rank of senior aircraftsman(1) and above are eligible to apply for the ICS. Leading aircraftsmen and below who wish to be considered for commissioning must meet the appropriate eligibility criteria for direct entrants including the required qualifications (for example, non-commissioned aircrew must have completed a three-year tour of duty at the time of entry into the initial officer training centre).
	 Commissioned Warrant Officer (CWO)
	Warrant officers and master air crew commissioned under the CWO Scheme do not attend full officer training and are appointed in the rank of flight lieutenant with no additional seniority. All other serving personnel are appointed in the rank of flying officer with additional seniority determined by the substantive rank held, including normal paid acting rank, on commissioning.
	(1) This rank includes women.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are deployed in  (a) Tajikistan,  (b) Uzbekistan,  (c) the Kyrgyz Republic and  (d) Turkmenistan.

John Hutton: There are no British military personnel deployed in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the republic of Kyrgyz or Turkmenistan.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many conventional British military personnel are working in Frontier Corps training schools in Pakistan; and at which schools.

John Hutton: We are working in partnership with the Pakistani Frontier Corps and Americans under the Security Development Plan to help Pakistan address the security challenges of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. I am withholding further information for security reasons.
	However, I can confirm that there are currently 24 UK military personnel based in Pakistan undertaking a variety of roles, including training, liaison and diplomatic duties.
	The number of military personnel based in Pakistan varies from time to time. This can be for a variety of reasons, including revised tasking and changes to previous roles.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 563-64W, on armed forces: housing, how many service family accommodation units are maintained by Modern Housing Solutions in each  (a) region and  (b) area.

Kevan Jones: Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) as at 31 March 2009 were responsible for the repair and maintenance of service family accommodation (SFA) properties in the following locations.
	
		
			  MHS Region  Area  Number of SFA 
			 East Brampton 763 
			  Chicksands 852 
			  Colchester 1,024 
			  Coltishall 42 
			  Cottesmore 1,488 
			  Marham 898 
			  Thetford 512 
			  Wattisham 798 
			 East total  6,377 
			 Central Abingdon 1,494 
			  Brize Norton 1,067 
			  Bushey 1,055 
			  High Wycombe 1,301 
			  Kingston 1,374 
			  Uxbridge 806 
			  Woolwich 338 
			 Central total  7,435 
			
			 North Boulmer 213 
			  Catterick 2,212 
			  Waddington 1,649 
			  York 1,307 
			 North total  5,381 
			
			 South East Aldershot 3,773 
			  Arborfield 1,390 
			  Brompton 689 
			  Folkestone 733 
			  Gosport 1,827 
			  Portsmouth 1,210 
			 South East total  9,622 
			
			 South West Bovington 1,105 
			  Colerne 370 
			  Helston 571 
			  Larkhill 4,212 
			  Lympstone 629 
			  Lyneham 1,241 
			  Plymouth 1,175 
			  Warminster 989 
			 South West total  10,292 
			 West Chester 403 
			  Haverfordwest 194 
			  Hereford 646 
			  St. Athan 708 
			  Telford 1,561 
			  Weeton 349 
			 West total  3,861

Armed Forces: Housing

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department on upgrading housing for armed forces personnel in each year since 2002.

Kevan Jones: The following was spent upgrading service family accommodation in Great Britain in each financial year since 2001-02.
	
		
			  Financial year   million 
			 2001-02 25.3 
			 2002-03 25.5 
			 2003-04 33.5 
			 2004-05 18.1 
			 2005-06 32.4 
			 2006-07 16.4 
			 2007-08 16.9 
		
	
	Although the final expenditure for 2008-09 is yet to be confirmed, it is planned to be some 35 million.

Armed Forces: Mass Media

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern serving members of the armed forces talking to the media.

John Hutton: We want our people, military and civilian, to talk and write about what they do so that the roles and achievements of the armed forces and MOD can be better understood. However, in order to ensure that national and operational security is upheld, and that standards of political impartiality and public accountability are met, serving members of the armed forces must seek prior authorisation before talking to the media.
	The guidance is set out in a Defence Instruction and Notice (DIN) which is available on the MOD internet site. It is also reflected in the relevant Queen's regulations.

Armed Forces: Mentally Ill

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the incidence of mental illness among serving soldiers in each age group.

Kevan Jones: Since July 2007 the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation has reported on the psychiatric morbidity of the UK armed forces. The annual summary report for 2007 has recently been published, and this includes the breakdown of new attendances in 2007 including both in and out-patient mental health facilities by age group. This information is provided in the table.
	
		
			New in-patient attendances at external contractor facilities in 2007  New out-patient attendances at MOD departments of community mental health in 2007 
			  Age  Total armed forces strength  Number of patients assessed with a mental disorder  Percentage of total strength  Number of patients assessed with a mental disorder  Percentage of total strength 
			 20 16,000 6 0.04 384 2.39 
			 20-24 45,500 77 0.17 1,102 2.42 
			 25-29 41,700 65 0.16 807 1.94 
			 30-34 29,500 34 0.12 520 1.76 
			 35-39 34,300 38 0.11 554 1.61 
			 40-44 18,100 15 0.08 242 1.34 
			 45-49 9,500 6 0.06 107 1.13 
			 50+ 5,300 7 0.13 49 0.92 
		
	
	The figures record all new attendances (i.e. people who have not attended previously) at MOD Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) and in-patient facilities and therefore does not include those whose course of treatment at that facility started prior to January 2007.
	Data for 2008 are currently being validated.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the wastage rates from  (a) phase 1 and  (b) phase 2 training were in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Wastage rates of cohorts including phase 1 and phase 2 training for each year since 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following table shows outflow from the untrained UK Regular Forces split by service and rank for each financial year from 1997-98 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Outflow( 1)  of untrained UK Regular Forces( 2)  by Service 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  All Services 5,960 8,450 8,560 7,350 6,770 7,250 6,950 5,830 5,130 (3)6,290 (3)6,670 
			 Officers 240 390 330 380 320 350 310 340 220 (3)370 (3)480 
			 Other Ranks 5,720 8,060 8,230 6,970 6,450 6,900 6,640 5,490 4,910 (3)5,920 (3)6,190 
			 
			  Naval Service 1,200 1,470 1,680 1,510 1,760 1,740 1,340 1,050 1,190 (3)1,120 (3)1,230 
			 Officers 120 80 70 80 80 120 90 90 90 (3)100 (3)120 
			 Other Ranks 1,080 1,390 1,610 1,430 1,680 1,620 1,250 960 1,100 (3)1,020 (3)1,110 
			 
			  Army 4,260 6,290 6,200 5,160 4,390 4,880 5,020 4,330 3,690 (3)4,840 (3)4,860 
			 Officers 80 260 220 260 190 180 170 200 90 (3)220 (3)330 
			 Other Ranks 4,180 6,030 5,980 4,900 4,200 4,700 4,850 4,130 3,600 (3)4,620 (3)4,530 
			 
			  Royal Air Force 490 690 680 680 620 630 570 460 250 330 (3)590 
			 Officers 40 50 40 40 50 50 40 60 30 50 (3)30 
			 Other Ranks 450 640 640 640 570 580 530 400 220 280 (3)560 
			 (1) Outflow from UK Regular Forces includes death and outflow to civil life including recalled reservists on release and outflow to the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, which was disbanded on 31 March 2008. (2) UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded. (3) Provisional. Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, all Naval Service and Army flow statistics for financial year 2006-07 and 2007-08 and all RAF flow statistics for financial year 2007-08 are provisional and subject to review.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) target and  (b) actual number of gains to trained strength for (i) officers and (ii) other ranks in each service was since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The targets and total number of gains to trained strength for officers and other ranks in each service since financial year 1997-98 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Gains to  trained strength( 1)  for  UK  regular forces( 2) 
			1997-98( 3)  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Naval Service Target (6) (6) (6) (6) 3,330 3,320 3,430 3,140 3,090 3,370 3,320 
			  Achieved (6) 2,820 3,720 3,090 2,870 3,390 3,210 2,650 2,650 (4)2,660 (4)3,480 
			 Officers Target (6) (6) (6) (6) 440 430 430 470 420 410 400 
			  Achieved (6) 270 450 420 400 480 470 420 360 (4)410 (4)300 
			 Other Ranks Target (6) (6) (6) (6) 2,890 2,890 3,000 2,670 2,680 2,960 2,920 
			  Achieved (6) 2,540 3,270 2,670 2,470 2,920 2,740 2,240 2,290 (4)2,250 (4)3,180 
			  
			  Army Target (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) 10,010 9,320 9,870 9,700 9,850 
			  Achieved (6) 8,970 10,040 9,670 9,400 10,740 10,990 9,590 8,400 (4)8,750 (4)8,300 
			 Officer Target (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) 610 620 640 650 650 
			  Achieved (6) 620 560 530 540 590 600 640 630 (4)620 (4)610 
			  
			 Other Ranks Target (6) (6) (6) 10,623 9,440 9,840 9,400 8,700 9,230 9,050 9,200 
			  Achieved (6) 8,350 9,490 9,140 8,870 10,150 10,390 8,950 7,770 (4)8,130 (4)7,690 
			  
			  Royal Air Force Target 3,170 3,590 3,350 3,470 3,670 4,010 4,290 3,550 2,170 1,700 1,660 
			  Achieved (6) 3,450 3,440 3,110 3,210 3,360 3,640 3,310 2,190 (5)1,500 (5)1,580 
			 Officer Target 510 660 620 600 640 720 730 570 370 500 330 
			  Achieved (6) 520 510 520 570 560 570 550 380 (5)450 (5)440 
			 Other Ranks Target 2,660 2,940 2,720 2,870 3,030 3,290 3,560 2,980 1,800 1,200 1,330 
			  Achieved (6) 2,930 2,920 2,590 2,630 2,800 3,070 2,760 1,800 (5)1,050 (5)1,140 
			 (1) Figures relate to personnel completing training and joining the trained strength. Direct entries to the trained strength, such as trained re-entrants, professionally qualified officers (PQO) are excluded. (2) UK Regular Forces includes Nursing services and excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. (3) Prior to 1998-99 the achieved number of gains to trained strength could not be derived directly from centrally held records. Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, all Naval Service flow statistics from the 12 month period ending 31 October 2006, all Army flow statistics from period ending 31 March 2007 and all RAF flow statistics from the 12 month period ending 30 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. (4) Provisional (5) Provisional estimate (6) Data unavailable

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual strength of each Volunteer Reserve service is.

Bob Ainsworth: The establishment and strength of the Reserve Forces, as at 28 February 2009, is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   RMR  RNR  TA( 1)  (Group A only)  RAuxAF 
			 Establishment 970 2,286 38,500 2,002 
			 Strength 868 2,020 28,920 1,418 
			 (1) TA Establishment figure excludes all 3,500 UOTC. TA Strength figure excludes TA Group B, UOTC, FTRS, Sponsored Reserves and NRPS.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint UK/EU development funding has been made available to armoured vehicle manufacturers in each year since 2004; in respect of which vehicles such development funding has been provided; and what plans he has for further such funding in the next 10 years.

Quentin Davies: There has been no joint UK/EU development funding available to military armoured vehicle manufactures and there are no current plans for such funding.

Army: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval of each infantry battalion in the Army was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: The average tour interval for the infantry as a whole is 26 months. The current tour intervals for individual infantry battalions are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Unit deployed  Last operational deployment (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 1 Grenadier Guards Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq September 2006 8 
			 1 Coldstream Guards Afghanistan October 2007 Iraq October 2005 23 
			 1 Scots Guards Iraq December 2007 Iraq April 2005 31 
			 1 Irish Guards Iraq June 2007 Northern Ireland March 2004 38 
			 1 Welsh Guards Afghanistan April 2009 Balkans April 2007 24 
			 1 Scots(1) Iraq December 2007 Iraq May 2006 17 
			 2 Scots Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 3 Scots Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq January 2005 51 
			 4 Scots Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 5 Scots Afghanistan April 2008 Balkans October 2005 29 
			 1 PWRR Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 2 PWRR Iraq January 2005 Northern Ireland December 2003 12 
			 1 RRF Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 2 RRF Afghanistan April 2009 Northern Ireland November 2003 64 
			 1 R Anglian Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq October 2005 18 
			 2 R Anglian Iraq June 2008 Iraq October 2006 20 
			 1 Lancs(2) Iraq December 2007 n/a   
			 2 Lancs(2) Iraq November 2006 n/a   
			 1 Yorks Iraq December 2008 Iraq May 2007 18 
			 2 Yorks Afghanistan October 2007 Balkans September 2006 13 
			 3 Yorks Iraq November 2004 Balkans June 2001 40 
			 1 R Welsh Cyprus May 2007 Northern Ireland January 2006 15 
			 2 R Welsh Iraq June 2007 Iraq October 2005 19 
			 1 Mercian Iraq December 2007 Iraq October 2004 37 
			 2 Mercian Afghanistan April 2009 Afghanistan November 2007 16 
			 3 Mercian Iraq November 2006 Iraq October 2005 12 
			 1 Rifles(3) Afghanistan October 2008 Iraq November 2006 23 
			 2 Rifles Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq May 2007 23 
			 3 Rifles Iraq September 2006 Northern Ireland March 2005 17 
			 4 Rifles Iraq June 2007 Balkans October 2001 67 
			 5 Rifles Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 1 Royal Irish Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 2 Para Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq April 2006 24 
			 3 Para Afghanistan April 2008 Afghanistan October 2006 18 
			 1 RGR Afghanistan October 2007 Balkans March 2006 18 
			 2 RGR Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan October 2005 37 
			  Notes: (1 )1 RS and 1 KOSB amalgamated in August 2006 to form 1 Scots. (2 )1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. Because of the nature of this amalgamation it is not representative to carry forward the unit deployments of 1 KORBR, 1 Kings and QLR to 1 Lancs and 2 Lancs. (3) 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 Rifles.

AWE Management

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether  (a) public-private partnership and  (b) private finance initiative arrangements may be put in place under the AWE Aldermaston management contract.

Quentin Davies: There are no plans to put in place public-private partnership or private finance initiative arrangements under the Ministry of Defence's contract for the management and operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

D-Day Landings: Anniversaries

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department plans to take to assist veterans to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy.

Kevan Jones: It has been the policy of successive Governments that special commemorations are only initiated by the Ministry of Defence for key anniversaries and centennials of events of the greatest national significance. Other anniversaries do not receive MOD sponsorship at public expense.
	I understand that the French Government are arranging an international commemoration in France to mark the D-Day anniversary. Ministers and Service Chiefs are keen to become involved in these events and await official invitations.
	In the region of 1,000 members of the armed forces will be in Normandy in June, as many are each year and current members of units which fought on D-Day will stand alongside veterans at wreath laying ceremonies in France.
	The Big Lottery Fund have recently agreed to pay travel costs for veterans wishing to attend the commemorations this year and those who have already arranged their own travel will also be reimbursed.
	Finally, in the UK the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA) are holding their own wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday 21 June, accompanied by the band of the Welsh Guards, and to follow that we are working with the NVA on the possibility of a church service.

Defence: International Co-operation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Devon of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 426, on defence: international co-operation, what steps have been taken to increase interoperability between countries  (a) operating aircraft carriers and  (b) with naval vessels able to support carrier operations.

John Hutton: The Royal Navy regularly identifies opportunities at the tactical and operational level to increase interoperability with foreign navies.
	The European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII) draws together European nations with operational aircraft carriers or with naval vessels capable of supporting carrier operations. This initiative seeks to improve interoperability between European navies for national, NATO or EU-led operations. The inaugural Steering Group for ECGII met in Paris on 18 March 2009.
	The UK Carrier Strike Group Commander and his staff regularly liaise and train with the US Navy at both a tactical and operational level. The UK also has a Long Lead Skills programme with the US Navy, which is developing essential personnel skill-sets in advance of the arrival of Carrier Vehicular (Future).
	It is routine procedure for warships of close allies to integrate into each others Carrier Strike Group deployments, as demonstrated last year with the integration of the US, French and Spanish warships into the RN's Orion 08 deployment led by HMS Illustrious, and HMS Manchester's integration into the US Carrier Strike Group.

Departmental Buildings

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) grade II,  (b) grade II* and  (c) grade I listed buildings have been owned by his Department in each of the last three years.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 26 March 2009
	I will place in the Library of the House a current list of the Department's listed buildings and details of those that have been disposed of, and thus removed from the list, or added in 2007 and 2008. The list is broken down by grade and devolved Administrations as listed building grades differ between each Administration.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Quentin Davies: Information relating to the number, cost and distribution of all laptop computers purchased by the MOD since 2005 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Copyright

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff work in his Department's Intellectual Property Rights Directorate employs; and what the Directorate's  (a) expenditure and  (b) income was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Quentin Davies: The Defence Intellectual Property Rights (DIPR) Directorate employs 35 staff.
	The expenditure and income figures for the DIPR budget are as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Expenditure  Total income  Adjusted income 
			 2004-05 3,090,048 1,796,596 486,373 
			 2005-06 3,472,449 1,903,525 403,504 
			 2006-07 3,336,586 1,845,554 456,204 
			 2007-08 3,580,491 1,754,358 298,077 
			 2008-09 3,491,816 1,703,865 460,747 
		
	
	The expenditure covers DIPR staff costs, in meeting MOD Intellectual Property (IP) project support work (national and international), and includes the costs of staff seconded from DIPR to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The expenditure also includes costs to fund IPR activities such as IPR protection (patents, trade marks, registered designs) and for meeting the legislative requirements including managing and monitoring of Classified Patent Applications.
	Total income is the total payments directly into the DIPR budget, including payments from Dstl to cover the seconded staff and DIPR outgoing costs paid on behalf of Dstl. This income excludes IP income such as levies and royalties which are credited to other MOD budgets. Adjusted income is the total payments into the DIPR budget, excluding payments from Dstl.

Departmental Copyright

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of administering Defence Crown Copyright was in each of the last five years; and how much was received in copyright fees in each such year.

Kevan Jones: The costs of administering Defence Crown Copyright during the last five years were as follows:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 725,000 
			 2005-06 736,000 
			 2006-07 780,000 
			 2007-08 809,000 
			 2008-09 872,000 
		
	
	The external income received from licensing Defence Crown Copyright during the last five years were as follows:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 609,000 
			 2005-06 899,000 
			 2006-07 1,022,000 
			 2007-08 1,665,000 
			 2008-09 1,882,000

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: In addition to complying with all applicable building regulations, Ministry of Defence construction projects are mandated, through the Office of Government Commerce Common Minimum Standards and the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate Mandates, to undertake building research establishment environmental assessment method (BREEAM) or defence related environmental assessment methodology (DREAM) environmental performance assessments. DREAM assessments in particular encourage performance over and above that of building regulations in the area of energy efficiency.
	Of those assessments completed since DREAM was launched in March 2006, 75 per cent. have achieved a greater than 10 per cent. improvement against the building regulations and six per cent. have achieved a greater than 20 per cent. improvement.
	In addition there is a Departmental commitment that from 2008 all new service families accommodation in the UK will meet level 3 of the code for sustainable homes.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) did not report energy per square metre before 2004.
	In 2006-07 following improvements in data quality, the MOD recalculated the building floor area used to measure performance against the Sustainable Development in the Government target of 15 per cent.
	The latest assessment of Government's performance against these targets was published by the Sustainable Development Commission on 12 December 2008:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2008/
	These show the MOD reduced energy consumption by per square meter by 10 per cent. since 2006-07.

Departmental Health Insurance

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on private medical contractors in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The vast majority of health care for service personnel is provided by the Defence Medical Services or the national health service. However, there will be times when it is necessary to employ private medical contractors, such as when a particular specialism is not readily available, or when it would be impractical to provide the service overseas using internal resources (for example, aspects of health care for personnel posted overseas to Germany and other smaller bases and detachments).
	In practice, such private sector health provision is funded by a number of individual budgets across the MOD, including at local unit level within the single Services, and disproportionate effort would be required to provide the total Departmental spend.
	However, we have been able to obtain a breakdown of costs from the MOD Central Budget and British Forces Germany which indicates the sums involved and services contracted. This information is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  MOD central budget 
			  Financial year   
			 2004-05 4,702,662 
			 2005-06 5,802,167 
			 2006-07 4,892,840 
			 2007-08 6,561,094 
			 2008-09 4,731,393 
		
	
	These figures include contract costs for the provision of in-patient mental health provision, specialist prosthetic services, and civilian locums for operational deployments.
	
		
			  British Forces Germany 
			  Financial year   
			 2004-05 45,755,000 
			 2005-06 43,790,000 
			 2006-07 43,720,000 
			 2007-08 45,450,000 
			 2008-09 51,283,000 
		
	
	These figures include secondary health care contracts with German hospitals; non-contracted extra-contractual costs for specialist care; primary care contract costs with SSAFA Forces Help and Guy's  St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (i.e. not all private contractor provided); non-contracted primary care costs; and costs related to Isolated Detachments in European Theatre.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Quentin Davies: The amount expended by the MOD on Blackberrys and mobile telephones, in each financial year since 2005, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend ( million) 
			 2005-06 5.1 
			 2006-07 5.4 
			 2007-08 7.2 
			 2008-09 7.6 
		
	
	It represents the combined spend on devices (Blackberrys and mobile telephones), accessories, rental charges and usage charges for all MOD users including Ministers, special advisers, civil servants and members of the armed forces. It has not been possible to identify separately the costs for Blackberrys and mobile telephones, or to show separately the costs for each group due to the complexity of the management data and the form in which it is held. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of measuring compliance with its targets under its public service agreements in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department does not distinguish between the costs of monitoring performance against targets under public service agreements and the costs of compliance. Compliance includes activities such as systems audit by Defence Internal Audit and supporting the work of the National Audit Office and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisations provided such training.

John Hutton: Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the Ministerial Code.

Erasmus

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the UK is not participating in the Erasmus military officer training programme.

John Hutton: The European Initiative on the Exchange of Young Officers Inspired by Erasmus, sometimes known as military Erasmus, is focussed on European exchanges at the initial officer level.
	The UK's initial training for officers is conducted at separate single service institutions. These three different courses all last approximately one academic year. The training has a strong focus on UK specific elements such as legal issues and specialist equipment training, with the aim to prepare officers for the next stage in their training on more specialist military courses. It would therefore not be practical to train officers at other nations' institutions.
	The importance of education in international issues is recognised and is included in initial training for junior officers, but is covered in more depth later as officers' careers begin to include more staff appointments and as they begin to attend staff officer training such as the Intermediate Command and Staff Course, typically undertaken between the ages of 29 and 32. Similarly the higher proportion of, and the opportunity for, exchange training for UK officers comes later in officers' careers.
	While the UK acknowledges the Erasmus initiative as a method of improving the understanding and awareness of other nations' services and cultures, we do not wish to participate in current circumstances for the practical reasons outlined above.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint procurement projects his Department has participated in with the European Defence Agency since 2004; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such partnerships.

Quentin Davies: The UK participates in a wide range of activities across the agency. None of the activities we have taken part in has yet generated proposals for collaborative procurement.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has provided to the European Defence Agency in each year since 2004; what mechanisms are in place to  (a) audit such expenditure and  (b) monitor the distribution of such funds against objectives; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The amount paid by the Ministry of Defence to the European Defence Agency (EDA) in each of the financial years since it was established in 2004 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year   million 
			 2004-05 1.56 
			 2005-06 2.36 
			 2006-07 2.09 
			 2007-08 1.95 
			 2008-09 3.11 
			 2009-10 (1)4.22 
			 (1) Estimated 
		
	
	Funds for the agency are allocated annually against a work programme, approved by Defence Ministers at the EDA Steering Board. The accounts of the EDA are audited annually by a College of Auditors whose members are currently drawn from three participating member states.

Ex-servicemen: Compensation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about the outcomes of claims for  (a) war disablement pension and  (b) compensation for injuries or illness incurred during service in the armed forces his Department has received in each year since 2000.

Kevan Jones: Complaints about the outcomes of claims under the War Pension Scheme (WPS) are known as appeals. It is not possible to provide information on appeals against outcomes of claims for war disablement pensions for 2000 as electronic records are only held back to 2001. For the period 2001-08, 21,895 appeals were registered under the WPS. A breakdown of appeals registered by calendar year is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Appeals( 1, 2) 
			 Total 21,895 
			   
			 2001 3,870 
			 2002 3,360 
			 2003 2,845 
			 2004 2,590 
			 2005 2,355 
			 2006 2,675 
			 2007 2,225 
			 2008 1,980 
			 (1) Appeals include disablement pensioner entitlement appeals and assessment appeals. (2) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, totals may not add due to rounding. 
		
	
	Complaints about the outcomes of claims under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) are known as reconsiderations and appeals. Between the start of the scheme, 6 April 2005 and 31 December 2008, there have been 855 reconsiderations and 370 appeals made at the First Tier Tribunal under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). A breakdown of reconsiderations and appeals by calendar year is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Reconsiderations( 1, 2)  Appeals( 2) 
			 Total 855 370 
			
			 6 April 2005 to  31 December 2005 0 0 
			 2006 80 25 
			 2007 200 80 
			 2008 575 265 
			 (1) Includes reconsiderations and reconsiderations carried out as part of the appeal process; if an appeal is requested before a reconsideration has taken place, then a reconsideration will automatically be registered on behalf of the claimant. (2) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, totals may not add due to rounding.

Ex-servicemen: Compensation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of unsuccessful claimants for  (a) war disablement pensions and  (b) compensation for injuries or illness incurred during service in the armed forces made a subsequent claim in each of the last three years.

Kevan Jones: Between 2006-08 there were 2,210 unsuccessful war disablement pension claims under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). The percentage of unsuccessful claimants who have subsequently registered a new claim under the WPS by calendar year is provided in the table. It is not possible to identify whether claimants that have made a subsequent claim have claimed for the same condition.
	Between 2006-08 there were 2,210 unsuccessful war disablement pension claims under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). The percentage of unsuccessful claimants who have subsequently registered a new claim under the WPS by calendar year is provided in the table. It is not possible to identify whether claimants that have made a subsequent claim have claimed for the same condition.
	
		
			  Year( 1,)( )( 2)  Percentage 
			 2006 1.0 
			 2007 0.5 
			 2008 0.6 
			 (1) Year in which unsuccessful war disablement claim was determined. Subsequent claims may have occurred in a following calendar year; data only available up to 31 December 2008. (2) Claims include current invaliding and first claims. 
		
	
	Between 2006-08 there were 2,935 unsuccessful claims for compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). The percentage of unsuccessful claimants who have subsequently registered a new claim under the AFCS by calendar year is provided in the table.
	
		
			  Year( 1,)( )( 2)  Percentage 
			 2006 5.0 
			 2007 8.4 
			 2008 9.0 
			 (1) Year in which unsuccessful claim for compensation was determined. Subsequent claims may have occurred in a following calendar year; data only available up to 31 December 2008. (2) Claims include injury claims and additional claims.

Ex-servicemen: Compensation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of time taken by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and its predecessors to deal with cases relating to  (a) war disablement pensions and  (b) compensation for injuries or illness incurred during service in the armed forces was in each year since 2000.

Kevan Jones: The average length of time taken to deal with cases relating to war disablement pensions and compensation for injuries or illness incurred during service in the armed forces is provided in the table. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme began in April 2005 and no performance measurement was made for the first year.
	
		
			   Number of days for average clearance 
			   War disablement pension  Armed Forces Compensation Scheme( 1) 
			 2000-01 92 n/a 
			 2001-02 73 n/a 
			 2002-03 63 n/a 
			 2003-04 61 n/a 
			 2004-05 57 n/a 
			 2005-06 52 (2)n/a 
			 2006-07 49 43 
			 2007-08 50 64 
			 (1) Figures for 2008-09 are not yet available. (2) No AFCS performance measurement was made in the first year.

Ex-servicemen: Compensation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency  (a) referred to and  (b) received from the Department for Work and Pensions in each year since 2007.

Kevan Jones: The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) via their Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) will offer advice to veterans on possible eligibility to a range of other benefits some from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). VWS monitor the outcome of their advice with DWP.
	The number of cases referred to by the VWS to the DWP is provided in the table.
	
		
			   Number of cases 
			 January-December 2007 744 
			 January-December 2008 573 
			 January-February 2009 68 
			  Note: Figures for March 2009 are not yet available. 
		
	
	However, SPVA have no formal process whereby they receive cases from the DWP, and therefore no data can be provided on this issue.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many errors in the delivery of medals to veterans his Department has recorded in each year since 2003.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ex-servicemen: Tribunals

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of his Department's average expenditure on a tribunal case related to veterans in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: None. The information is not kept in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Future Large Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the future of the A400M programme.

Quentin Davies: There have been a number of discussions with the French Defence Minister and with others of our partners, and this dialogue is continuing.

Future Large Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the first A400M transport aircraft to be introduced in the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1406W, to the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton).

Kenya: Military Aid

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies of 20 Parachute Battalion of the Kenyan army have received training from the British Army since 2005.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK has provided training to Support Company of 20 Parachute Battalion of the Kenyan army in a programme that commenced in 2007.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to reply to the letter of 3 March 2009 from the hon. Member for Billericay and the hon. Member for Norwich North requesting a meeting on the subject of nuclear test veterans.

Kevan Jones: I met with the hon. Member and representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association on Monday 20 April 2009. My hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) was unable to attend.

Military Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 424W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, with whom the national contract for providing medium and heavy helicopter lift is placed.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 424W. The UK currently supplements the NATO ISAF Contracted Air Transport with a national contract through SkyLink Aviation.

Military Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1366W, on Hercules aircraft, how many platforms were factored into the figure of 15,680 flying hours for the 2008-09 financial year.

Quentin Davies: The figure of 15,680 flying hours related to the period 1 April 2008 to 31 January 2009 and was achieved by a total of 23 Hercules C-130J aircraft.

Military Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department is having with Lockheed on the purchase of tactical airlift aircraft.

Quentin Davies: The Department has had limited discussions with Lockheed Martin Aerospace, without commitment, in relation to possible scope for lease or purchase of additional C-130J aircraft. The discussions are part of wider continuing work to assess all possible options for the temporary mitigation of the capability gap caused by the delay to A400M.

Military Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the sources of capital for the  (a) suppliers and  (b) backers of the A400M aircraft.

Quentin Davies: The Department undertakes regular analysis of its key suppliers. These analyses are generally done to ensure financial adequacy at a group level rather than for specific projects or contracts, and do not cover precise sources of funding. They are Departmental interpretations of publicly held financial information (e.g. a company's published accounts).

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the percentage shortfall of required spares for each helicopter type is in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the percentage shortfall of required spares is for each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force.

Quentin Davies: Information on spares availability is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Exercises

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training exercises have been conducted under the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative with the exclusive purpose of improving interoperability  (a) between countries operating aircraft carriers and  (b) between countries with naval vessels able to support carrier operations.

Bob Ainsworth: No training exercises have been conducted to date under the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative.

Pakistan: Al Qaeda

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any official in his Department was given notice by any representative of  (a) the Pakistan government and  (b) the US administration of the US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on or before 22 November 2008.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence was not given notice by the Pakistani government or the US Administration of the reported air strike on Ali Khel on or before 22 November 2008.

RAF Brize Norton

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights from RAF Brize Norton have been abandoned following commencement owing to mechanical faults in each year since 2005.

Quentin Davies: A record of all flights originating from RAF Brize Norton since 2005 that were cancelled due to technical faults is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For part of the requested period, statistics have been collated for flights undertaking airbridge tasks in support of Operation Herrick, Operation Telic and the Falkland Islands Permanent Joint Operating Base. In the period from January 2008 to date, no airbridge flights were cancelled due to technical faults, although some flights did incur delays or airframes were changed due to technical faults on the originally allocated airframe.

Reserve Forces

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which  (a) posts and  (b) categories of post in public service are incompatible with service in the Reserve Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: No posts in public service are incompatible with service in the Reserve Forces.

Somalia: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Royal Navy assets are  (a) participating and  (b) planned to participate in Operation Atalanta.

Bob Ainsworth: HMS Northumberland participated in Operation Atalanta from the start of the operation in December 2008 until the end of February 2009. Throughout the mandate of the operation (which expires on 13 December 2009) we have and will continue to provide the operational commander and associated headquarters. No decision has yet been taken on any continuance of the operation beyond its existing mandate.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in the value of sterling on the estimated costs of the Trident replacement programme.

John Hutton: The main part of the programme, covering the successor to the Vanguard Class submarines, has yet to reach the Initial Gate approval stage. In accordance with normal MOD procurement processes, a revised cost estimate that is due in September 2009 will inform this decision and this will include an assessment of the exchange rate risk.

Warships: Construction

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 647, on the warship construction programme, what the tonnage of the warship construction programme will be.

Quentin Davies: The approximate tonnage of each class of warship currently under construction, and their combined total, is provided in the table:
	
		
			  Class of vessel  Displacement per vessel (tonnes)  Planned number of vessels per class  Total tonnage of class 
			 Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers (CVF) 65,000 (full displacement) 2 130,000 
			 Type 45 Daring Class destroyers (1)8,100 (mid-mission, mid-life full displacement) 6 48,600 
			 Astute Class attack submarines 7,800 (full displacement when dived) (2)7 54,600 
			 Total tonnage   233,200 
			 (1) The Type 45 tonnage will change throughout the ship's life due largely to the adoption of an incremental capability approach. Mid-life, mid-mission tonnage has been chosen as a representative figure. (2) Our current plans are for a total class of seven boats. 
		
	
	The Future Surface Combatant and successor programmes also form part of the warship construction programme but are at an early phase in the design process, and decisions on final design have yet to be taken.

Warships: Construction

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Oral Answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 16, what the evidential basis was for his statement that the UK has the largest programme under way since the end of the First World War in respect of naval construction.

Quentin Davies: I specified in my statement that it related to peacetime construction. I made this statement on the basis of real terms expenditure.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of farmers who have diversified their business into activities outside food production in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: Since 2003-04 statistics on farm diversification have been collected through the Farm Business Survey. Prior to this, diversification figures were collected through the June Survey of Agriculture. The two surveys are not directly comparable.
	Indications from the Farm Business Survey are that, since 2003-04, the percentage of farms that have diversified their business into activities outside food production has remained stable at around 50 per cent. Detailed figures can be found on the DEFRA website.

Agriculture: Waste Disposal

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many on-farm anaerobic digesters there are in each parliamentary constituency in England.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 March 2009
	DEFRA does not hold the information requested as figures for the number of farm-based anaerobic digestion plants are not collected centrally.

Animal Feed: Imports

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of animal feed ingredients of each  (a) type of crop and  (b) country of origin was imported in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: Table 1 shows the volume of animal feed ingredients imported into the UK from 2004 to 2008, split by type and exporting country, as recorded in the Official Trade Statistics. Table 1 excludes whole cereal grains, which are shown in Table 2.
	Table 2 shows estimates for the volume imported into the UK from 2003-04 to 2007-08 of whole cereal grain used in animal feedingstuffs. The Official Trade Statistics do not specifically distinguish whole cereal grain for animal feed from that for human consumption. However an estimate of imported cereal grain used for animal feed is derived and published as part of the UK Supply and Demand estimates on a crop year basis (July to June).
	This estimate is derived from total import figures from the Official Trade Statistics and survey data on use of cereal grain by various cereal processors. It is not possible to provide a country of origin/despatch breakdown.
	
		
			  Table 1 UK imports of animal feedingstuffs, 2004-08, by exporting country (country of despatch for EU and origin for Non-EUsee notes) 
			  T onnes 
			  Description  EU/Non EU  Country  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Cereal straw and husks EU Netherlands 124,980 76,852 71,717 5,563 386 
			   Irish Republic 18,953 18,068 17,833 15,187 12,189 
			   Other EU 2 9 100 80 22 
			  Non EU USA 5 5 3,701 22,125 38,303 
			   Other Non-EU 4 4 2,949 8,076 9,178 
			  Total  143,943 94,937 96,300 51,030 60,078 
			 
			  Lucerne meal and pellets EU Italy   2,684 21,519 19,744 
			   Netherlands 2,429 2,708 5,705 221 0 
			   France 2,092 2,457 2,065 2,226 2,206 
			   Irish Republic  354 460 5,918 2,376 
			   Other EU 1 56 26 1,728 2 
			  Non EU Canada 1,786 1,587 2,000 2,767 4,591 
			   Other Non-EU 87 81 95 129 152 
			  Total  6,394 7,242 13,033 34,507 29,071 
			 
			  Swedes, mangolds, vetches, fodder roots, forage kale and other forage crops EU France 8,329 8,080 7,801 10,187 4,366 
			   Belgium 3,153 3,090 1,331 390 859 
			   Germany 486 3,212 1,616 163 1,331 
			   Netherlands 207 202 2,673 1,822 1,094 
			   Irish Republic 80 1,013 814 2,016 477 
			   Spain 51  2,920 162  
			   Other EU 45 5 97 511 535 
			  Non EU USA 1,956 2,280 2,677 1,790 2,835 
			   Canada 385 307 95 1,239 608 
			   Other Non-EU 1,247 299 149 89 242 
			  Total  15,940 18,488 20,173 18,369 12,345 
			 
			  Vegetables residues and by-productsgrape marc, acorns, pomace etc. EU Netherlands 48,105 60,575 36,201 55,160 34,591 
			   Spain 30,169 13,629 25,499 8,530 8,089 
			   Other EU 13,713 21,303 12,342 20,205 19,304 
			  Non EU Brazil 147,004 204,978 105,391 162,646 86,323 
			   Argentina 16,734 24,683 45,225 109,235 293,770 
			   USA 163,574 67,432 48,541 36,347 122,355 
			   Other Non-EU 132 289 191 583 1,868 
			  Total  419,431 392,889 273,389 392,705 566,300 
			 
			  Brans, sharps and other residuesof Leguminous vegetables EU Irish Republic 207 241 194 146 186 
			   Belgium 94 69 97 99 175 
			   Portugal 167 71
			   Germany 35 23 24 3  
			   Other EU 19 0 20 0 5 
			  Non EU China 52 
			   Other Non-EU1 9 
			  Total  522 404 336 249 428 
			 
			  Brans, sharps and other residuesof Maize EU Irish Republic 8,667 8,599 12,333 8,317 2,806 
			   Netherlands  3,285 0   
			   Other EU 62 110 90 54 16 
			  Non EU USA  0  1 130 
			   Other Non-EU2 15 
			  Total  8,729 11,993 12,423 8,375 2,967 
			 
			  Brans, sharps and other residuesof Rice EU Germany 16 11 28   
			   Belgium 8 3 14   
			   France 1 24 0   
			   Other EU  6 3   
			  Non EU Egypt 22 22
			   China 4 3 18   
			   USA 6 6 4   
			   Other Non-EU  0 1   
			  Total  57 75 69   
			 
			  Brans, sharps and other residuesof Wheat EU Netherlands 48,003 47,891 55,614 54,323 63,470 
			   Irish Republic 11,557 14,332 13,299 19,442 12,687 
			   Germany 2 1,072 177 5,658 1,986 
			   France 5,236 2 884 208 73 
			   Other EU 9,628 1,466 2,071 1,081 5,234 
			  Non EU Australia 23 
			   Other Non-EU 10 15 0 5 4 
			  Total  74,436 64,778 72,045 80,718 83,477 
			 
			  Brans, sharps and other residuesof Other cereals EU Irish Republic 3,110 2,764 3,941 2,667 3,079 
			   Denmark  2,247  1,197  
			   Netherlands 1,172 0  1 21 
			   Other EU 228 16 143 71 46 
			  Non EU USA  0  7 20 
			   Other Non-EU 2   1 4 
			  Total  4,512 5,028 4,084 3,945 3,169 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Soya beans EU Netherlands 437,119 376,502 268,486 226,572 220,699 
			   Other EU 54,603 49,860 37,613 60,855 109,884 
			  Non EU Brazil 978,315 950,867 708,242 731,122 741,371 
			   Argentina 254,746 165,268 783,249 999,107 1,030,704 
			   USA 121 60,448 34 48,687 77,563 
			   Other Non-EU 50,842 56,653 36,426 23,546 34,809 
			  Total  1,775,745 1,659,598 1,834,051 2,089,888 2,215,029 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Groundnuts EU Netherlands23  
			   Other EU6 2 
			  Non EU Senegal 4,995 
			   Gambia 2,354 
			  Total  7,349   29 2 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Cotton seeds EU Irish Republic 873 883 634 6  
			   Netherlands165  
			  Non EU Brazil 12,504 
			   Benin 9,384 
			   Nigeria  3,652 987   
			   Other Non-EU 1,346  5   
			  Total  24,107 4,535 1,626 171  
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Linseed EU Belgium 265 1,484  131 744 
			   Irish Republic   139 411 343 
			   Germany 76 20
			   Other EU  0   56 
			  Non EU Argentina  1,085
			   Faroe Islands  652
			   China   190 228 100 
			   Canada 1 
			  Total  341 3,242 329 770 1,243 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Sunflower seeds EU Netherlands 117,650 78,118 76,599 51,245 43,041 
			   Portugal 43,661 27,515 18,404 12,866 24,724 
			   Latvia 6,146 5,242 18,137 40,070 39,170 
			   Lithuania  15,141  32,018 5,529 
			   Greece   5,869 8,882 20,154 
			   France 9,848 328  3,008 17,835 
			   Spain   5,586 3,031 10,748 
			   Other EU 14,812 9,557 4,057 16,196 7,857 
			  Non EU Argentina 127,988 137,531 171,985 95,673 158,535 
			   Russia 4,850 5,516 42,057 72,469 115,899 
			   Ukraine 18,182 24,836 49,760 63,444 12,638 
			   Uruguay  20,500
			   Other Non-EU 15,620   2,715 15,375 
			  Total  358,758 324,283 392,453 401,616 471,504 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Rape or Colza seeds EU Poland 23,627 67,478 47,005 67,772 79,200 
			   Belgium 21,157 27,401 28,698 56,813 56,890 
			   Netherlands 7,620 424 20,414 58,621 77,203 
			   Germany 23,213 36,993 18,994 18,788 24,709 
			   France 2,702 1,816 4,910 6,245 18,214 
			   Other EU 1,185 7,292 11,463 4,351 13,112 
			  Non EU South Africa  20
			   Other Non-EU  1   0 
			  Total  79,505 141,425 131,484 212,590 269,327 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Coconut or Copra EU Belgium  0 0   
			  Non EU Malaysia 5,021 
			   Jamaica 0 
			  Total  5,021 0 0  0 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof Palm nut or kernels EU Netherlands 34,397 41,872 19,928 10,679 2,222 
			   Other EU 3,266 5,899 13,447 3,823 1,181 
			  Non EU Malaysia 512,940 672,873 594,038 321,932 31,626 
			   Indonesia 191,395 143,151 264,293 260,404 413,875 
			   Other Non-EU 28,011 19,282 18,165 69,375 23,789 
			  Total  770,010 883,077 909,872 666,214 472,693 
			 
			  Oil cake and mealof other oil seeds and oleaginous plantsolives, sesame seed etc. EU Spain 96,578 135,535 11,230 132,160 144,461 
			   Denmark 1,093 20,805 12,045 31,377 13,724 
			   Greece  14,873 16,544 23,342 3,704 
			   Sweden  4,547 5,301  3,301 
			   Estonia  5,321 7,685   
			   Belgium 21 9,398 466 410 10,441 
			  Non EU Tunisia 3,470 11,387 7,931 26,315 45,111 
			   USA 1,199 1,145 1,125 1,181 19,940 
			   Other Non-EU 5,735 7 19,669 23 8 
			  Total  108,096 203,017 81,996 214,808 240,690 
			 
			  Flours, meals and pellets of meat or meat offal (including tankage); greavesunfit for human consumption EU Netherlands 27,599 4,210 3,293 2,139 1,292 
			   Germany 889 2,685 3,982 2,618 2,666 
			   Belgium 1,735 4,703 4,854 1,237  
			   Lithuania 93 10,585 0   
			   Spain 272 1,538 1,272 469 41 
			   Other EU 183 1,240 514 646 1,943 
			  Non EU New Zealand 1,125 941 607 598 302 
			   Australia 458 292  236 1,659 
			   Other Non-EU 50 151 13 78 54 
			  Total  32,404 26,344 14,534 8,022 7,956 
			  Flours, meals and pellets of fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebratesunfit for human consumption EU Denmark 24,701 16,093 25,168 12,884 21,983 
			   Germany 8,206 25,420 30,783 13,488 8,349 
			   Irish Republic 15,060 11,723 6,065 11,635 9,152 
			   Other EU 3,260 5,362 779 2,860 1,543 
			  Non EU Peru 19,434 23,201 37,623 21,156 24,610 
			   Iceland 42,513 33,346 13,608 3,778 10,337 
			   Faroe Islands 11,508 10,893 2,297 3,378 7,901 
			   Chile 6,514 12,639 10,923 5,072 199 
			   Norway 9,537 3,699 7,894 9,878 3,805 
			   Other Non-EU 1,743 4,343 4,288 3,540 3,137 
			  Total  142,476 146,720 139,426 87,670 91,017 
			 
			  Residues of starch manufacture EU Irish Republic 27,687 24,080 33,700 18,637 9,373 
			   France 18,578 7,848 21,648 22,777 39,189 
			   Netherlands 36,175 2,796 6,858 4,796 4,606 
			   Spain 1,343 4,664 31,693   
			   Other EU 5,156 877 2,578 2,776 12,880 
			  Non EU USA 20,503 37,376 67,457 10,456 9,019 
			   Other Non-EU 2 166 678 846 219 
			  Total  109,445 77,806 164,611 60,287 75,286 
			 
			  Residues of sugar manufacturebeet pulp, bagasse EU Netherlands 4,425 10,849 20,719 13,293 3,208 
			   Germany 1,797 5,672 11,908 12,299 12,599 
			   Irish Republic 5,196 6,050 5,583 8,438 8,483 
			   Spain 9,225 5,600 2,391   
			   France 0  8,023 4,130  
			   Belgium 1  6,227 2,290  
			   Italy 6,656 
			   Denmark   4,034 1,818  
			   Other EU 188 48 2,408 1,979 2,551 
			  Non EU USA 20,725   17,509 35,109 
			   Russia   2,350  6,548 
			   Canada 5,623 
			   Other Non-EU   91 264 2,905 
			  Total  48,213 28,220 63,735 62,021 77,027 
			 
			  Residues of brewing and distillingdregs and waste EU Irish Republic 11,551 12,974 13,269 15,308 15,187 
			   Netherlands 11,638 3,195  4,102 19,058 
			   France6,215 14,738 
			   Other EU 3,970 3,498 7,441 11,352 14,870 
			  Non EU USA 258,762 247,467 239,132 119,321 33,587 
			   Other Non-EU 14 19 11 2,901 14,242 
			  Total  285,935 267,154 259,853 159,199 111,682 
			 
			  Wine lees or Argol EU France   0  26 
			   Germany   0 1 3 
			  Non EU New Zealand0  
			   Japan0  
			   Singapore0  
			  Total0 1 29 
			 
			  Preparations of a kind used for animal food(excluding dog and cat food), not elsewhere stated EU Irish Republic 27,201 39,462 57,311 80,226 44,950 
			   Netherlands 27,578 16,632 83,868 77,312 38,884 
			   Germany 9,006 15,326 67,794 10,317 22,720 
			   Belgium 15,838 13,619 12,909 14,954 14,279 
			   Hungary 15,974 8,596 9,115 11,687 12,359 
			   Other EU 14,321 16,176 19,448 22,021 22,429 
			  Non EU USA 625,841 583,576 435,653 156,129 29,311 
			   Other Non-EU 7,094 9,487 8,731 5,041 5,145 
			  Total  742,854 702,875 694,828 377,687 190,075 
			  Notes: 1. Data prepared by Trade Statistics, Economics and Statistics Programme, DEFRA. 2. 2008 data are subject to amendments. 3. Figures showing as zero are less than 0.5 tonnes. 4. These figures exclude preparations for pet animals such as dog and cat food. 5. Exports from outside the EU which are shown in table 1 are based on the country of origin. This is the country where the goods were originally produced. Exports from the EU shown are based on the country of despatch. This is the country where the last commercial transaction of the goods took place and may be different from the country of origin. This distinction is an artefact of the different administrative recording systems by which the data are collected.  Source: H M Revenue and Customs 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Estimates of volume of imported whole cereal grain used in animal feedingstuffs 
			  Tonnes 
			   Crop year 
			  Cereal type  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Wheat 177,000 13,000 85,000 114,000 90,000 
			 Barley 60,000 73,000 55,000 106,000 92,000 
			 Maize 413,000 404,000 405,000 437,000 717,000 
			  Source: DEFRA, HNIRC

Animal Welfare: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has allocated for  (a) animal health and  (b) increasing agricultural productivity in the South West in 2009-10.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA's annual report gives estimated figures for its total spending in 2009-10 on animal health issues through Animal Health area offices and activities and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, and on research and development directed towards improving agricultural production and productivity, but expenditure under these headings is not regionalised and so no separate figure for the south-west of England can be given.
	Improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sectors is one of the objectives of Axis 1 of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). In the south-west, Axes 1 and 3 of the RDPE are delivered by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). DEFRA has made an indicative allocation of 30.27 million to SWRDA for Axis 1 and 3 in 2009-10.

Animals: Circuses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the importation of elephants to perform in circuses; and whether his Department issues guidance on such imports.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has received no representations specifically on that issue.
	The UK is a signatory party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of non-domesticated animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The management authority of any state may waive the normal requirements which apply to the movement of a specimen where that specimen forms part of a travelling circus and provided certain conditions are fulfilled. These conditions include the requirement that the management authority is satisfied that any living specimen will be so transported and cared for as to minimise the risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment.

Beijing

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many visits were made by staff of his Department to Beijing in the financial year 2007-08.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally DEFRA staff made 30 visits to Beijing in the financial year 2007-08. All visits by staff were undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent in each region on tackling bovine tuberculosis in each of the last three years; what estimate he has made of the amount of private sector expenditure in each region on tackling bovine tuberculosis in those years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Department is unable to breakdown spend by region. The financial system that we use only allows us to record spend on a country basis and until 2008-09 on a GB basis. Therefore, we have provided as follows a breakdown of the total amount spent on tackling bovine tuberculosis in each of the last three years(1) and only 2008-09 are England figures.
	We have made no specific estimates of the amount of private sector expenditure in each region on tackling bovine tuberculosis.
	(1) Data sourced from DEFRA Oracle Financial system.
	
		
			   million 
			   2006-07 Actual spend  2007-08 Actual spend  2008-09 Forecast spend 
			 Cattle Testing(1) 37.8 32.6 32.6 
			 Compensation(2) 24.5 29.7 25.7 
			 Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) 1.6 0.03 0 
			 Surveillance activity by the VLA(3) 6.4 7.9 6 
			 Other Research 7.8 8.5 8.1 
			 HQ/Overheads(4) 1.7 1.2 1.8 
			 Total 79.7 79.9 74.2 
			 (1) Cattle testing: the cost of carrying out the testing of cattle for TB by arranging, assessing and monitoring tests, conducting investigations of incident herds and diagnostic testing by local veterinary inspectors on behalf of DEFRA. NB: This expenditure is funded by DEFRA for GB. (2) Compensation: includes payments for 'reactors' and 'contact animals' which are compulsorily slaughtered. This includes 'salvage' money received by the Government for those carcasses which are permitted to go into the food chain. Payments up until 2007-08 include those carcasses which are eligible for the Over Thirty Month Scheme. NB: For 2006-07 and 2007-08, these costs include Scotland and Wales and are funded by their respective Governments. From 2008-09 onwards, these costs are England only. (3) Surveillance activity by the VLA: includes all DEFRA funded work carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency relating to TB in cattle and badgers including the supply of tuberculin. NB: This expenditure is funded by DEFRA for GB. (4) HQ/overheads: includes staff costs for veterinary advice and administration of TB policy in England only.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle have been slaughtered because of suspected bovine tuberculosis in the last 12 months; and at what cost. [R]

Jane Kennedy: In 2008, 27,455 cattle were slaughtered in England (26,038 as test reactors, 487 as inconclusive reactors and 930 as direct contacts). The 2008 spend on compensation for England was 27.5 million.

Compost

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the potential health effects of composting.

Jane Kennedy: Since 1 December I have answered five written parliamentary questions and supplied a reply to one email inquiry.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I can confirm that information relating to DEFRA's performance against the energy efficiency per metre square Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) target is available on the Sustainable Development Commission website.
	DEFRA has an ongoing programme of work to improve the energy efficiency of its estate. A key element of this programme is to reduce the size of the DEFRA Estate and make more efficient use of the existing portfolio. To date this strategy has resulted in an overall reduction in energy consumption across the estate, but has had a negative effect on the energy efficiency per metre squared.
	Also, over the past four years, DEFRA has increased its capability to investigate and respond to animal and plant disease outbreaks. This work is carried out in energy intensive high containment laboratories which are regulated by strict legislation. It is accepted by energy efficiency expert bodies such as the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) that energy efficiency of laboratory buildings cannot be calculated solely on a floor space basis. 75 per cent. of the DEFRA Estate's total energy consumption is used for laboratory activities.
	It should be noted that the DEFRA office estate is performing well, and if SOGE target for energy efficiency related solely to the office estate, DEFRA would currently be within 4 per cent. of achieving the target.

Departmental Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the change in the annual cost to his Department of maintaining the empty public buildings owned by his Department as a result of the April 2008 changes to empty property rate relief.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Allowing for the fluctuation in the number of vacant public buildings within the departmental portfolio during 2008-09 financial year due to new vacancies and property disposals, it is estimated that the change in empty property rates relief has resulted in an additional annual rates liability amounting to approximately 670,000 for the period.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel has been used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies since its inception.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The annual energy consumption of buildings on the DEFRA and Executive Agency estate is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  kWh 
			  2007-08  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP h eat  CHP e lectricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 11,909,719 8,560,772 406,936 242,000 132,110 88,630 0 21,340,167 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 2,257,144 2,657,816 235,347 0 0 0 0 5,150,307 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 172,057 164,176 28,173 0 0 0 0 364,406 
			 RPA 8.044,716 5,495.993 367,759 0 0 0 0 13,908,468 
			 CEFAS 5,592,769 4,341,667 0 0 0 0 0 9,934,436 
			 CSL 19,366,330 25,820,972 9,630 0 0 0 0 45,196,932 
			 VLA 17,767,232 17,760,110 3,558,555 0 660,000 2,223,000 0 41,968,897 
			 Total 65,109,967 64,801,506 4,606,400 242,000 792,110 2,311,630 0 137,863,613 
		
	
	
		
			  kWh 
			  2006-07  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP heat  CHP electricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 12,876,317 10,140.841 1,148,301 0 0 0 0 24,165,459 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 2,233,637 2,131,606 236,273 0 0 0 0 4,601,516 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 145,643 153,681 49,400 0 0 0 0 348,724 
			 RPA 8,299,745 4,589,502 210,108 0 0 0 0 13,099,355 
			 CEFAS 5,398,601 3,884,647 0 0 0 0 0 9,283,248 
			 CSL 21,310,786 23,771,253 17,880 0 0 0 0 45,099,918 
			 VLA 15,576,608 24,039,096 2,290,760 0 7,497,000 8,004,000 0 57,407,464 
			 Total 65,841,337 66,710,626 n 3,952,721 0 7,497,000 8,004,000 0 154,005,683 
		
	
	
		
			  kWh 
			  2005-06  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP heat  CHP electricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 15,647,140 13,485,901 1,453,514 314,466 0 0 0 30,901,021 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 164,083 126,609 0 0 0 0 0 290,692 
			 SVS (formed  1 April 2005) 3,358,863 4,174,618 374,353 0 0 0 11,066 7,918,899 
			 RPA 8,556,851 5,865,659 310,182 0 0 0 0 14,732,692 
			 CEFAS 5,148,877 4,610,481 0 0 0 0 0 9,759,358 
			 CSL 13,701,553 20.049,704 28,927 0 0 0 0 33,780,184 
			 VLA 12,786,601 52,079,013 450,804 0 0 8,117,584 0 73,434,002 
			 Total 59,363,968 100,391,986 2,617,779 314,466 0 8,117,584 11,066 170,816,849 
		
	
	
		
			  kWh 
			  2004-05  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP heat  CHP electricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 17,273,446 15,291,837 1,210,893 1,088,370 0 0 44,188 34,908,734 
			 RPA 7,637,183 5,551,080 86.217 0 0 0 0 13,274,480 
			 CEFAS 5,152,393 4,339,638 0 0 0 0 0 9,492,031 
			 CSL 13,210,227 15,941,104 18,672 0 0 0 0 29,170,003 
			 VLA 10,162,812 25,276.043 750,009 0 3.780,804 7,770,416 0 47,740,084 
			 Total 53,436,061 66,399,702 2,065,791 1,088,370 3,780,804 7,770,416 44,188 134,585,332 
		
	
	
		
			  kWh 
			  200 3 -0 4  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP heat  CHP electricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 16,678,712 15,317.652. 1,505,047 1,327,300 0 0 60,884 34,889,595 
			 RPA 6,758,159 5,198,578 246,822 0 0 0 0 12,203,559 
			 CEFAS 5,080,351 5,090,179 0 0 0 0 0 10,170,530 
			 CSL 11,932,201 21,653,673 39,194 0 0 0 0 33,625,068 
			 VLA 10,905,900 27,377,755 560,548 0 3,815,345 7,872,958 0 50,532,506 
			 Total 51,355,323 74,637,837 2,351,611 1,327,300 3,815,345 7,872,958 60,884 141,421,258 
		
	
	
		
			  kWh 
			  2002 -0 3  Electricity  Gas  Oil  WDHS  CHP heat  CHP electricity  Solar  Total 
			 DEFRA 15,958,300 15,787,328 2,464,225 1,449,680 0 0 0 35,659,533 
			 BCMS 1,132,322 36,490 0 0 0 0 0 1,168,812 
			 RPA 7,427,798 5,982,422 359,324 0 0 0 0 13,769,544 
			 CEFAS 5,063,448 4,739,064 0 0 0 0 0 9,802,512 
			 CSL 12,205,053 21,393.760 0 0 0 0 0 33,598,813 
			 VLA 9,884,741 27,457,564 1,483,896 0 3.620.771 7.510,440 0 49,957,412 
			 Total 51,671,662 75,396,628 4,307,445 1,449,680 3,620,771 7,510,440 0 143,956,626 
			 WDHS: Whitehall District Heating System CHP: Combined Heat and Power.   Notes:   2005-06 1. CHP heat data for 2005-06 are missing. 2. Solar technology installed in 2003-04, system taken out of operation in 2006-07. 3. MFA data in 2005-06 are for the whole year, we are unable to split the data before and after the agency was formed.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; what estimate he has made of the (A) outturn cost and (B) completion date of each such project which is ongoing; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date;
	(2)  when he plans to answer question 251380, tabled on 22 January 2009, on ICT projects; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) does not hold a current comprehensive list of ICT projects at the level of detail requested. This could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	However, DEFRA has provided some related information to previous questions. The hon. Member is referred to the following answers:
	(a) The hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 9 February 2005,  Official Report, column 1500W;
	(b) The hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 2 December 2005,  Official Report, column 869W;
	(c) The hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1276W; and
	(d) The hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 12 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1226-27W.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which ICT projects his Department and its predecessors initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he plans to answer question 251392, tabled on 22 January 2009, on ICT projects; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) does not hold a current comprehensive list of ICT projects at the level of detail requested. This could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the hon. Member is referred to the response my Department provided to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 17 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1516-17W. No further ICT projects and programmes have been cancelled since that response.

Departmental Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 332-4W, on redundancy, how many staff left his Department under staff exit schemes with a severance package worth  (a) between 100,000 and 125,000,  (b) between 125,001 and 150,000,  (c) between 150,001 and 200,000,  (d) between 200,001 and 250,000,  (e) between 250,001 and 500,000,  (f) between 500,001 and 1,000,000 and  (g) over 1,000,000 in each year since 2005-06.

Huw Irranca-Davies: As a result of structural changes to the Department and to meet cross-Government targets to reduce headcount within Departments DEFRA has managed the exit of a number of staff over recent years. The initial investment in reducing the headcount will lead to significantly reduced future pay costs on staff.
	These included both voluntary and involuntary leavers to whom payments were made. As is common to other Government Departments, the structures of these payments were based on the rules contained within the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
	For staff leaving on compulsory or flexible early severance terms, or in receipt of a statutory redundancy payment, the size of the package represents the lump sum compensation payment made.
	For staff leaving on compulsory, flexible or approved early retirement terms, the size of the package includes:
	any lump sum compensation payment made on departure (compulsory terms only);
	the capitalised cost of paying a pension or annual compensation payment (ACP) before pension age;
	the cost of any pension enhancement (compulsory and flexible terms only) and the cost of bringing forward the payment of the pension lump sum (for those in classic).
	These figures are therefore the initial provision for the early departure liabilities caused by the staff's departures and include any cash payments made during the period.
	Packages also include any payments made on an ex gratia basis.
	 Breakdown of figures
	The split of the 245 voluntary leavers and two involuntary leavers who had severance packages of over 100,000 in the last three financial years is:
	
		
			  Voluntary leavers 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Grand total 
			  Pay range  S  ER  S  ER  S  ER  S  ER 
			 100,000-125,000 1 4 5 4 14 33 20 41 
			 125,001-150,000  4 3 8 4 21 7 33 
			 150,001-200,000  9 4 12 14 38 18 59 
			 200,001-250,000  7 2 5 5 14 7 26 
			 250,001-500,000 1 2 4 3 6 16 11 21 
			 500,001-1,000,000  11  2 
			  
			 Voluntary total 2 27 18 32 43 123 63 182 
		
	
	
		
			  Involuntary leavers 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Grand total 
			  Pay range  S  ER  S  ER  S  ER  S  ER 
			 100,000-125,000 1  1  
			 150,001-200,000  1  1 
			  
			 Involuntary total 1 1 1 1

Environment Agency: Administration

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on administration costs in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The total expenditure by the Environment Agency on administration costs in each of the three years to 31 March 2009 is as follows:
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			 Administration costs ( million) 98 98 102 
			 Total expenditure (percentage) 9.7 9.1 8.6 
			 (1) Estimate based on management accounts as at 28 February 2009. 
		
	
	The administration costs for 2008-09 are split between National Corporate costs of 36 million and Regional Operational Support costs of 66 million.
	During this period, the Environment Agency has restructured both the Finance and Human Resources Directorates, which will generate significant cost savings in future years.

Farmers: Income

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the likely average business income from a cropping farm in 2008-09.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 The average farm business income on a cropping farm in England in 2008-09 has been provisionally estimated to be around 50,200 for cereal farms and 53,600 for general cropping farms(1). This represents a fall of around a third compared to the previous year, as cereal prices have fallen and input costs have increased.
	Farm Business Income is the headline measure of the profitability of farm businesses. It represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
	(1) The estimates for 2008-09 are based on information available in early January 2009 for prices, animal populations, marketings, crop areas and yields and are subject to a margin of error, particularly because farm income tends to be the relatively small difference between output and input.

Farmers: Income

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average business income from cropping farms was in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 The average farm business income(1), the preferred measure of farm profitability, is only available from 2003-04. The alternative measure of net farm income(2) is available for the years up to 2007-08.
	(1) Farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
	(2 )Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse alone for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business. An imputed rent is deducted for owner-occupied farms as is a charge for other unpaid labour.
	
		
			  Average farm business income 
			  /farm 
			  March/February years  Cereals  General cropping 
			 2003-04 49,800 65,900 
			 2004-05 29,200 42,400 
			 2005-06 29,000 36,900 
			 2006-07 45,900 62,200 
			 2007-08 73,400 81,000 
			 2008/09 (provisional) 50,200 53,600 
			  Source: Farm Business Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Average net farm income 
			  /farm 
			  March/February years  Cereals  General cropping 
			 1998-99 8,400 35,800 
			 1999-2000 15,300 7,400 
			 2000-01 7,500 18,600 
			 2001-02 5,900 17,500 
			 2002-03 13,200 15,600 
			 2003-04 36,400 56,800 
			 2004-05 15,600 32,200 
			 2005-06 14,100 26,700 
			 2006-07 31,300 54,000 
			 2007-08 57,100 64,700 
			  Source: Farm Business Survey

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what types of critical infrastructure were categorised as at risk of flooding by the Environment Agency in each of the last five years; and how many of each type were so categorised in each such year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency commissioned a report for the first time in 2007 to map and improve its understanding of flood vulnerability of infrastructure at a national scale. The resulting Receptors Vulnerable to Flooding database, which draws heavily on information in the public domain and held by other parties, provides a summary of the vulnerability to flooding of various types of public utility infrastructure.
	The Environment Agency is currently working on updating this information for publication in spring 2009. The following table sets out a summary of the Receptors Vulnerable to Flooding database 2007.
	
		
			  Environment Agency 2007 study showing infrastructure overlain on flood risk maps (river and sea flood plains)( 1) 
			   Number of sites in flood zone (flood risk probability) 
			  Asset  Significant (1 in 75)  Moderate (1 in 75-200)  Low (1 in 200 or fewer)  Total in all three zones 
			 Water and sewerage (Number) 737 223 179 1,145 
			 Electricity, generation and distribution (Number) 2,215 2,263 3,818 8,423 
			 Gas, works and distribution (Number) 5 8 10 23 
			 Telephone exchanges (Number) 82 67 86 241 
			 Motorways (km) 139 104 132 382 
			 A roads (km) 884 553 809 2,278 
			 Railway lines (km) 1,470 750 948 3,213 
			 (1) Information extracted from the Environment Agency Receptors Vulnerable to Flooding Database 2007. 
		
	
	This information was originally provided to the Pitt Review team but has since been updated because of changes in the methodology used to collate the data. The Cabinet Office (through the newly recruited Natural Hazards team) will take forward this work with the Environment Agency and other organisations as part of the Government's action plan in response to Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the draft Floods and Water Bill.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We expect to publish the draft Bill in late spring 2009 for pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation. The final Bill will then be available for introduction in a later parliamentary Session.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the level of uptake of flood warnings; and by what means such warnings are delivered.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency's Floodline Warnings Direct is a free service that provides flood warnings direct to customers by telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message and fax.
	The Environment Agency has signed up a further estimated 100,000 customers since July 2007, increasing the number of registered customers from 328,767 to the current 433,314.

Flood Control: Expenditure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on the design and management of each flooding and coastal protection project currently under way in areas at risk from  (a) fluvial and coastal flooding and  (b) coastal erosion.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency completed 57 nationally managed projects on fluvial and coastal flooding between 1 April 2008 and 28 February 2009 of which 34 were funded or part-funded by DEFRA. The tables are based on information provided by the Environment Agency's capital works database. These show that the average costs spent on the appraisal of projects by the Environment Agency's National Capital Programme Management Service (NCPMS) on feasibility and approvals was 18 per cent. The remaining 82 per cent. was spent on the construction and post construction activities of the project.
	The Environment Agency does not hold records centrally on the cost of design and management for most of its schemes below 250,000, nor for pre-feasibility costs for most schemes and for local authority coastal erosion projects.
	
		
			  Table 1: Summary of appraisal/delivery split for Environment Agency projects above 250,000 that have completed construction between 1 April 2008 to 28 February 2009 
			  000 
			  Funding  Type of project  Appraisal  Delivery  Grand total 
			 Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGIA) Coastal 11,374.6 22,314.7 33,689.3 
			  Fluvial 6,732.4 34,510 41,242.4 
			  Other 1,878.1 10,283 12,161.1 
			  Tidal 5,623.6 33,722.7 39,346.3 
			 FDGIA total  25,608.7 100,830.4 126,439.1 
			  
			 FDGIA/Income Coastal 228.7 12,153.9 12,382.6 
			  Fluvial 3,506.1 20,361 23,867.1 
			  Other 1,053.3 208.1 1,261.4 
			  Tidal 643.5 3,008.7 3,652.2 
			 FDGIA/Income total  5,431.6 35,731.7 41,163.3 
			  
			 Grand total  31,040.3 136,562.1 167,602.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Appraisal/delivery split for projects that have completed construction between 1 April 2008 to 28 February 2009 broken down by project 
			  000 
			  Funding  Type of project  Project title  Appraisal  Delivery  Grand total 
			 FDGIA Coastal East Suttons to Denge Interim Beach Man'ment 07/08 88.1 666.8 754.9 
			   High Knocke to Dymchurch Redoubt Sea Defences 10,973 20,365.9 31,338.9 
			   Stanah Sea Defences 313.5 1,282 1,595.5 
			  Coastal total  11,374.6 22,314.7 33,689.3 
			   
			  Fluvial Chatsworth Gauging Station 59.2 90.9 150.1 
			   Chelt Gap Culvert 25.9 279 304.9 
			   Chelt Glynbridge Bank Slips 24.8 176 200.8 
			   Cockshaw Burn @ Hexham 1,808.5 10,481.8 12,290.3 
			   Currymoor/Haymoor Project (FC) 295.2 477.4 772.6 
			   Exwick Flood Scheme Improvements 69 224.7 293.7 
			   Flexbury FDS 342.5 3,200.6 3,543.1 
			   Middle Level Barrier Banks Urgent Works 123.2 1,561.5 1,684.7 
			   Newbridge Sluice 137.5 322.2 459.7 
			   River Eden/Petteril Flood Defences, Carlisle 1,420 11,875.9 13,295.9 
			   Silk Stream FAS 2,363.5 5,765 8,128.5 
			   Wakefield, West Riding Quarry Spillway E. Works 63.1 55 118.1 
			  Fluvial total  6,732.4 34,510 41,242.4 
			   
			  Other Cut Off Channel Bridges 1,647.8 8,916.6 10,564.4 
			   Stainforth Emergency Works 51.6 739.6 791.2 
			   Upper Parrett Bridge Package 178.7 626.8 805.5 
			  Other total  1,878.1 10,283 12,161.1 
			   
			  Tidal Associated Gates Corrosion Protection Systems 283.5 495.1 778.6 
			   Denver Little Eyes Refurbishment, Stage 1 117.9 986.7 1,104.6 
			   Lower Lancaster FAS Phases 1 and 2 984.5 9896 10,880.5 
			   Lymington River Flood Alleviation Scheme 1,103.7 3,190 4,293.7 
			   Medway Lock Inspections 07/08 12.6  12.6 
			   Parrett BanksThatchers Arms 130.6 387.8 518.4 
			   Rainham Main Sluice Frontage, E022_02  03 321.9 396.3 718.2 
			   Selby Defences inc. Barlby 2,188.6 15,943.2 18,131.8 
			   Thames Barrier Corrosion Protection System 480.3 2,427.6 2,907.9 
			  Tidal total  5,623.6 33,722.7 39,346.3 
			 FDGIA total   25,608.7 100,830.4 126,439.1 
			   
			 FDGIA/Income Coastal Southern Felixstowe Coastal Defences 228.7 12153.9 12382.6 
			  Coastal total  228.7 12,153.9 12,382.6 
			   
			  Fluvial BoscastleValency Flood Defence System 917 5,618.8 6,535.6 
			   Hereford FAS 1,011.4 6,370.1 7,381.5 
			   St. IvesStennack Stream 1,577.7 8,372.3 9,950 
			  Fluvial total  3,506.1 2,0361 23,867.1 
			   
			  Other Frampton Habitat Creation Works 1,053.3 208.1 1,261.4 
			  Other total  1,053.3 208.1 1,261.4 
			   
			  Tidal Ipswich Flood Defence Management Scheme: Wet Dock Gates Replacement 262.4 1,598.4 1,860.8 
			   Queenhithe Wharf Frontage N230, Repair  Strength 381.1 1,410.3 1,791.4 
			  Tidal total  643.5 3,008.7 3,652.2 
			 FDGSA/income total   5,431.6 35,731.7 41,163.3 
			   
			 Grand total   31,040.3 136,562.1 167,602.4

Flooding Lessons Learned Review

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the recommendations made in Sir Michael Pitt's final report on Learning lessons from the 2007 floods have been implemented.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government's response to the Pitt Review set out what had been implemented before December 2008 and the further steps required to implement its recommendations in the future. The Government will report further on implementation every six months, beginning in June 2009.

Floods

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the electronic maps developed by the Environment Agency which identify those areas vulnerable to flash flooding from surface water.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 The Environment Agency completed actions in response to the urgent recommendation from Sir Michael Pitt's interim report in August 2008 which stated
	'The Review recommends that the Environment Agency, supported by local authorities and water companies, should urgently identify areas at highest risk from surface water flooding where known, inform Local Resilience Forums and take steps to identify remaining high risk areas over the coming months'.
	The Environment Agency sent map data to Local Resilience Forums to help them plan their response to surface water flooding emergencies.
	The information on the maps is still under development and is for emergency planning purposes. The maps give an indication of the broad areas likely to be susceptible to surface water flooding based upon an extreme summer rainfall event with no drainage systems working. The information is not sufficiently accurate to use for individual properties. For example, it excludes the impact of buildings and kerb heights on surface water flows which at the local level can be significant. There will be properties at risk from surface water flooding that will not be included in the outline areas on the maps. The Environment Agency has not published the maps because of these uncertainties.
	The Environment Agency is committed to providing the public and businesses with accurate and meaningful information about surface water flood risk in conjunction with local authorities and water companies in the future. Work is ongoing to validate the model results against historic surface water flood events. The information will be published once there is confidence in the results.
	I have balanced the need to share surface water flood risk data with the public against the risks of publishing nationally un-validated data based on extreme scenarios for some types of surface water flooding. The public interest is best served by the current situation where Local Resilience Forums have information that will help them plan for emergencies and it is better to wait until more reliable data are available before publishing the Environment Agency's maps. In the meantime, members of the public can purchase maps on surface water flooding on the internet from at least one commercial company.

Floods: Essex

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1127W, on floods: Essex, 
	(1)  which of the schemes in the Essex catchment area which have received funding in the last 12 months for  (a) flood prevention and  (b) river maintenance are scheduled to (i) receive further funding over the next five years and (ii) how much funding each scheme will be allocated in each case;
	(2)  which river maintenance schemes in the Essex catchment area have received funding from his Department in the last 12 months; and how much was spent on each such scheme;
	(3)  which flood protection schemes in the Essex catchment area have received funding from his Department in the last 12 months; and how much was spent on each such scheme in that period.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 31 March 2009
	During the financial year 2008-09, the Environment Agency has spent the following on constructing new, and refurbishing existing flood defences in Essex:
	9.32 millionJaywick;
	0.65 millionCanvey Island;
	0.27 millionTilbury;
	0.16 milliondeveloping schemes for Brightlingsea and Great Wakering;
	2.62 millionon over 30 smaller tidal and river defence schemes.
	4.67 million has been spent during 2008-09 on the general maintenance of river and tidal defences in Essex by the Anglian Eastern Area of the Environment Agency. Work has been carried out across the county at many locations, covering routine maintenance and one-off repairs to defences and structures, and is not broken down into specific schemes.
	The following Capital Flood Defence schemes in the Essex Catchment have received funding during 2008-09 and will continue into the next five years. Based on our current plans, funding will be allocated to the following projects over the period 2009 to 2014 in the amounts indicated:
	2.8 millionBrightlingsea;
	11.2 millionGreat Wakering;
	0.7 millionHolland Sluice;
	0.3 millionThames Tidal Defences;
	0.8 millionTilbury Barrier;
	0.02 millionJaywick.
	In addition to the above, 4.27 million has been allocated to schemes for maintenance of river and tidal defences in 2009-10. Future years' maintenance is likely to be funded to a similar figure.
	 Source
	The Environment Agency's Capital Works database

Floods: South East

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence and severity of flooding in the south east of England.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government provided 132 million to the Thames and Southern Regions of the Environment Agency in 2008-09 in order to reduce the incidence and severity of flooding in the south east of England. The funding for these regions is to increase to 151 million for 2009-10.
	The funding enables the Environment Agency to maintain and improve the flood defences and the Thames Barrier protecting London, and many other projects both inland and protecting the coastline around the south-east of England.
	Over the current CSR period of 2008-09 to 2010-11, over 36 major projects will be completed in Thames Region alone, at a cost of 87 million. These will deliver further benefits and reduce flood risk to over 67,000 homes.
	Within Romford itself, the Environment Agency will continue to carry out routine watercourse maintenance on Main Rivers in the River Rom catchment to reduce the risk of flooding. This includes vegetation control, blockage removal and incident response.
	Several improvement measures are planned for the Cross Road Flood Storage Area at Collier Row, Romford, during 2010 and 2011 at an estimated cost of 620,000. This is to ensure that the current standard of flood alleviation to properties in west Romford is maintained.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent countering fly tipping measures in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: Action and enforcement against fly-tipping is taken by local authorities and the Environment Agency.
	Through the former BREW (Business Resource Efficiency and Waste) programme, DEFRA has given the Environment Agency 1.5 million each year for the last four years. This has been spent on a wide range of environmental crime-related work which includes anti fly-tipping measures. The Environment Agency also receives grant in aid from DEFRA for a range of environmental work and enforcement activities.
	In 2008-09 DEFRA gave Encams (Keep Britain Tidy) 95,000, in addition to its grant, to fund a range of activities to support local authorities in tackling fly-tipping. In recent years, DEFRA has also funded a range of research projects which have to varying degrees addressed the issue of fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle fly-tipping; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on  (a) prevention and  (b) clean-up of fly-tipping.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are taking steps on a number of fronts to help local authorities and the Environment Agency tackle fly-tipping, an antisocial activity which can blight both urban and rural areas.
	DEFRA's illegal waste activity action plan, as set out in the England Waste Strategy 2007, aims to reduce fly-tipping through better prevention, detection and risk-based enforcement. The main measures are:
	new powers for local authorities and the Environment Agency to instantly seize vehicles that are involved in waste crime, implementing a power established by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. These powers are scheduled to be introduced later this year and should act as an effective deterrent, as well as helping regulators to build more effective prosecutions;
	improving the waste carrier registration system and promotingthrough more user friendly guidancethe waste duty of care so that the law around carrying waste is better understood by businesses and easier for authorities to enforce;
	funding of the Environment Agency's Waste Crime Innovation Programme which is developing and testing new techniques for tackling waste crime.
	There are various sources of support, advice and guidance on fly-tipping available to local authorities:
	DEFRA is funding Encams (Keep Britain Tidy) to offer bespoke advice to local authorities requiring assistance with their anti-fly-tipping strategies. Forty authorities received this assistance in 2008-09 and further funding is now in place to assist additional authorities in the coming year. This will be supported by a CD-Rom, being distributed to local authorities during April 2009, which offers authorities a single source of information on legal, detection and enforcement issues around fly-tipping, as well as best practice case studies.
	DEFRA also funded the Environment Agency to develop the Flycapture Enforcement training programme which aims to help local authorities to take appropriate enforcement action in response to fly-tipping incidents. Training courses, delivered by Encams and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM), are available around the country.
	The fly-tipping protocol sets out the circumstances in which either a local authority or the Environment Agency deals with a particular incident and is supported by various other guidance documents linked to the Flycapture database.

Food: EU External Trade

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries have tariff-free access for  (a) some and  (b) all of their food product exports to the EU; and in respect of what quantities tariff-free access is allowed.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 March 2009
	There are over 2,000 agricultural tariff lines in the European Union tariff schedule, each of which has a tariff that may differ (according to various concessionary arrangements) for approximately 200 countries. To list a country by tariff line breakdown of the tariff-free concessions would involve disproportionate cost.

Food: Waste Disposal

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much food was thrown away  (a) in tonnes and  (b) as a percentage of total food sales in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) undertook research in 2007 to quantify the amounts and types of food waste being produced in the UK.
	According to The Food We Waste report, UK households throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year.
	Combining these data with estimates of quantities of food purchases from the Expenditure and Food Survey in 2007 suggests that 31 per cent. of the 21.7 million tonnes of food we purchaseroughly a thirdis thrown away. Of this, 4.1 million tonnes, or 18 per cent. of the food we purchase, could have been eaten. Food thrown away that we could have eaten excludes items such as vegetable peelings, meat carcasses and teabags.

Litter: Smoking

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the smoking ban on the level of tobacco-related litter on streets.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Each year, DEFRA funds ENCAMS to carry out the Local Environment Quality Survey of England. The results for the seventh survey were published in March 2009 and are available on ENCAMS website at:
	www.encams.org
	Smokers' materials remain by far the most prevalent item, being present on 78 per cent. of all sites visited. The survey records only the incidencethat is to say the percentage of siteswhere each type of litter occurs. It does not attempt to record the volume.
	It is not possible to infer what effect the smoking ban in public places has had using this figure alone, but it is worth stating that it is the minority of people who choose to drop litter on the groundnot the smoking ban itselfwhich is responsible for creating litter.
	Powers and duties for dealing with litter are provided by part 4 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990), as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (CNEA 2005). Dropping any smoking-related litter is a littering offence under section 87 of the EPA 1990. A person found guilty of the litter offence may be fined up to level 4 on the standard scale (currently 2,500) in a magistrates court and section 88 of the EPA 1990 allows an authorised officer of a litter authority to issue fixed penalty notices as an alternative to prosecution in the range of 50 to 80 (set locally).

Livestock: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered owing to irregularities with their passports in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 The data required to provide the number of cattle slaughtered specifically because of irregularities with their passports in each of the last 10 years are not held in a form that is easily accessible. As the extraction and collation of these data would require a considerable amount of work and incur an unacceptable cost an answer cannot be provided. The data recorded monitor cattle slaughtered owing to the broader category of identification irregularities.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals of each species were disposed of through the National Fallen Stock Scheme in each year since the scheme came into force; and how much was received in payments in each case in each of those years.

Jane Kennedy: The National Fallen Stock Company which runs the National Fallen Stock Scheme does not hold the information by species in the format requested. With regard to the amount of payments, the latest information for the totals spent is as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   By farmers  By Government 
			 November 2004 to March 2005 2.29 0.86 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 7.92 5.95 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 10.29 6.87 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 13.76 2.99 
			 April 2008 to November 2008 8.10 1.29

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 30 January 2009, on farmers producing more food.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 March 2009
	I wrote to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on 2 April 2009.

Moscow

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many visits were made by staff of his Department to Moscow in the financial year 2007-08.

Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally DEFRA staff made one visit to Moscow in the financial year 2007-08. This visit was undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the rate of  (a) Phytophthora ramorum and  (b) Phytophthora kernoviae infestations in gardens.

Jane Kennedy: The Government recently announced the allocation of 25 million to support a five-year programme of work in England and Wales to manage and contain the risks of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae from spreading further.
	In addition to further research and development and an education and awareness programme, we will be looking to reduce the level of disease by removing infected and susceptible plants in woodlands and the wider environment, as well as identifying and controlling any new outbreaks. Experience has shown that the eradication of Rhododendron ponticum (the main host for the diseases) is the most effective control measure to reduce disease spread in the wider environment. At a selected number of woodland sites, the clearance of all rhododendrons, whether infected or not, has proved effective and appears to have prevented further infection of trees on those sites.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on tackling  (a) Phytophthora ramorum and  (b) Phytophthora kernoviae in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: In addition to DEFRA's general plant health programme which covers action against a wide range of plant pests and diseases (c. 10 million per annum), an additional 0.75 million was spent in 2008-09 for work to eradicate and control Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae in England and Wales. In this same period, The Forestry Commission spent approximately 0.05 million in combating these diseases in England and Wales.
	The Government recently announced the allocation of 25 million to support a five-year programme of work in England and Wales to manage and contain the risks of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, from spreading further.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on diseases caused by  (a) Phytophthora ramorum and  (b) Phytophthora kernoviae .

Jane Kennedy: A policy and science review on Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, including a public consultation, was carried out in 2008 to examine the historic and current situation and propose options for management of the diseases in the future. The consultation in England and Wales on Future management of risks from Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae closed on 10 October 2008. A total of 41 responses were received from a range of trade organisations and associations, individual businesses, local councils, owners and managers of historic gardens and government agencies. The review concluded that an increase in the current level of activity was required to reduce the risk of significant tree death and significant impact on heathlands within England and Wales, a view supported by the majority of respondents to the consultation.
	The Government recently announced the allocation of 25 million to support a five-year programme of work in England and Wales to manage and contain the risks of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, from spreading further.

Pigs: Animal Diseases

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of levels of post-weaning mortality in pigs in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: Post-weaning mortality rate data for pigs are not collected by DEFRA. Production data such as post-weaning mortality rate are collected by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) and can be obtained directly from them.

Pigs: Animal Diseases

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the levels of wasting syndrome found in pigs in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The occurrence of endemic diseases in the GB pig population is monitored through diagnostic submissions made to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (England and Wales) and the Veterinary Surveillance Centres of the Scottish Agricultural College (Scotland). These results are reported in the Veterinary Investigation Surveillance Report and the quarterly Disease Surveillance reports produced by Veterinary Laboratories Agency for DEFRA. The data captured only represent results for samples/carcasses submitted to Veterinary Laboratories Agency or the Veterinary Surveillance Centres of the Scottish Agricultural College and do not represent the actual number of cases/outbreaks occurring in GB.
	Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) was first diagnosed in GB in mid-1999. The number of incidents of PMWS recorded by Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Veterinary Surveillance Centres of the Scottish Agricultural College (combined) between 2000-07 are as follows. An incident is defined as the first diagnosis in an outbreak.
	
		
			   Number of incidents 
			 2000 11 
			 2001 164 
			 2002 286 
			 2003 259 
			 2004 164 
			 2005 104 
			 2006 66 
			 2007 63 
			  Source: Veterinary Investigation Surveillance Report 2007.

Power Stations: EU Law

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1330W, on power stations: EC law, which existing power stations decided to  (a) operate within the emissions trading scheme under the National Emission Reduction Plan,  (b) comply with emission limit values and  (c) opt out by committing to limit their hours of operation.

Jane Kennedy: I am arranging for the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.

Soil: Pollution

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Environment Agency plans to publish the revised  (a) toxicological and  (b) soil guideline value reports for (i) free cyanide and (ii) benzo[a]pyrene scheduled for publication in December 2007.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency plans to publish toxicological and soil guideline value reports for cyanide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which will include benzo(a)pyrene, by 30 June 2009.

South East Water

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to announce a decision on whether to hold an inquiry into South East Water's Water Resources Management Plan; and what criteria will inform his decision.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Water companies have recently published their statements of response to the representations received on their draft Water Resources Management Plans. The Secretary of State will consider the need for inquiries or hearings in connection with the draft plans and whether these would assist him by eliciting information necessary in his consideration of whether to direct changes to the plans before they are finalised. Each plan will be considered on its merits and individual decisions on whether to hold an inquiry or hearing will be made once the Secretary of State has considered the statements of response.

Warm Front Scheme: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boilers installed under the Warm Front scheme in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency have required repair on  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three and  (d) four or more occasions.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	The Warm Front scheme offers an aftercare provision with cover for parts and labour under all installed gas central heating systems for two years. The latest period for which figures are available is 1 September 2007 to 2 April 2009. The following data show system repairs (including, although not exclusively pertaining to, boiler repairs) in Bexleyheath and Crayford and England respectively:
	
		
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford 
			   Number 
			 1 Visit 262 
			 2 Visits 65 
			 3 Visits 32 
			 4 Visits 9 
			 Total properties covered 1,323 
			 Total Properties Visited 368 
		
	
	
		
			  England 
			   Number 
			 1 Visit 66,890 
			 2 Visits 20,617 
			 3 Visits 6,353 
			 4 Visits 3,027 
			 Total properties covered 377,256 
			 Total Properties Visited 96,887

Water Companies

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the procedures of an inquiry by his Department into a water company's Water Resources Action Plan includes an appeals procedure.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Water companies have recently published their statements of response to the representations received on their draft Water Resources Management Plans. The Secretary of State is considering the draft plans and the statements of response in order to reach a decision on the need for hearings or inquiries. Any hearing or inquiry will be conducted by an independent Inspector who will provide advice to the Secretary of State. There is no mechanism to appeal against that advice. Any decisions by the Secretary of State as a result of his review of the plans and statements of response, or as a result of the hearings or inquiries, may be challenged through the Judicial Review Process.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Advisory Services: Debts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department has provided to staff working for Jobcentre Plus on the referral of clients to receive debt advice.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 March 2009
	 The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what guidance his Department has provided to staff working for Jobcentre Plus on the referral of clients to receive debt advice. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Referring customers to appropriate agencies for advice and support on debt and financial management has long been part of the service provided by Jobcentre Plus. To help our Personal Advisers with this, we have a comprehensive programme of learning designed to equip them with the range of knowledge and skills required to support all customers. This learning provides the adviser with the key skills needed to undertake effective work-focussed interviews, identify things that may be making it harder to find work and, where appropriate, signpost people to relevant sources of help.
	More specifically, the Introduction to Customer Groups learning and development module provides guidance on how to help customers with debt problems. Currently being updated to strengthen and reinforce the help that is available to customers from Third Sector Organisations, this module is included in a range of learning routeways to ensure personal advisers and other staff are able to signpost customers to appropriate sources of help.
	It is also worth mentioning that as part of a national partnership agreement, customers with debt problems are often referred to their local branch of the Citizens Advice Bureaux, which is well equipped to offer advice and guidance.

Children: Maintenance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in child support payments remained uncollected by the Child Support Agency on the latest date for which figures are available.

Kitty Ussher: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 21W.

Christmas

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his Department's policy to offer staff  (a) additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping and  (b) Christmas bonus payments.

Jonathan R Shaw: No, it is not.

Christmas Bonus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of Christmas bonuses were paid in  (a) December 2008,  (b) January 2009 and  (c) February 2009; and how many and what proportion of such bonuses he expects to be paid in  (d) March and  (e) April 2009.

Rosie Winterton: The standard 10 Christmas bonus was paid as normal before Christmas to all those who qualified. Information on when the additional Christmas bonus was paid is in the table.
	
		
			  Actual and forecast volumes for additional 60 payment 
			   Volume payments made/expected  to be made  Percentage of forecasted total 
			 December 2008 Nil Nil 
			 January 2009 12,216,750 79.63 
			 February 2009 1,433,420 9.34 
			 March 2009 1,692,590 11.03 
			 April 2009 Nil1 Nil 
			  Notes: 1. Exceptionally there may be some clerical payments. 2. All payments figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. The total volume of payments to be made is 15,342,751.  Source: Special Payment Programme Weekly Review document 4 March 2009

Departmental Pay

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of recipients of the Christmas bonus will get the additional 60 between  (a) 1 and 15 January,  (b) 16 and 31 January,  (c) 1 and 15 February,  (d) 16 and 28 February,  (e) 1 and 15 March and  (f) 16 and 31 March 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The answer is in the following table:
	
		
			  Actual and forecast volumes for additional 60 payment 
			  2009  Volume payments to be made  Percentage of forecasted total 
			 1 to 15 January 12,175,120 81.94 
			 16 to 31 January 41,630 00.28 
			 1 to 15 February 49,390 00.33 
			 16 to 28 February 1,302,100 08.76 
			 1 to 15 March 1,289,700 08.69 
			 16 to 31 March (1)0 0 
			 (1) Exceptionally some payments may be issued clerically after  15 March 2009.   Notes:  1. All payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. As of 9 February 2009 DWP have issued 12,231,904 payments.  3. The total volume of payments forecast to be made is 14,857,929.   Source: Special Payment Programme weekly review document 11 February 2009.

Departmental Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of recipients of the Christmas bonus received their additional 60 by the end of January; how many of the remaining payments he estimates will have been paid by  (a) the end of February and  (b) the end of March; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 February 2009
	The answer is in the following table.
	
		
			  Actual and forecast volumes for additional 60 payment 
			   Volume payments to be made  Percentage of forecasted total 
			 1 January 2009 to 31 January 2009 12,216,750 79.63 
			 1 February 2009 to 28 February 2009 1,433,420 9.34 
			 1 March 2009 to  31 March 2009 (1)1,692,590 11.03 
			 (1) Some additional payments may be issued clerically during March 2009.  Notes: 1. All payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The total volume of payments to be made is 15,342,751.  Source: Special Payment Programme Weekly Review document 4 March 2009.

Council Tax Benefits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the expenditure required from the public purse to alter personal allowances for council tax benefit to provide that households where no individual is eligible to pay income tax receive full council tax benefit  (a) regardless of the amount of capital held and  (b) while maintaining the current capital limits; and if he will estimate the number of households which would pay a reduced rate of or no council tax as a result of such a change.

Kitty Ussher: The following table shows estimates of the cost and number of council tax benefit (CTB) beneficiaries of  (a) awarding full CTB where no individual is paying income tax, and regardless of any capital held and  (b) awarding full CTB where no individual is paying income tax and capital held is within the current capital limits.
	
		
			  Full council tax benefit where no one in the household pays income tax 
			  Full CTB where no one pays income tax, depending on capital  Number of beneficiaries  Cost in annually managed expenditure ( million per year) 
			  No capital limit   
			 Working age 450,000 200 
			 Pensioners 510,000 270 
			 Total 950,000 470 
			
			  Capital under 16,000   
			 Working age 350,000 80 
			 Pensioners 460,000 200 
			 Total 800,000 290 
			  Notes:  1. All figures are for Great Britain.  2. Beneficiaries are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and costs are rounded to the nearest 10 million. These estimates include customers who gain and those who become entitlement to the benefit.  3. Each beneficiary represents a benefit unit, which can be a single claimant or a couple.  4. The impact is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model for 2008-09, using data from the 2006-07 Family Resources Survey up-rated to 2008-09 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels, and is calibrated to latest published forecasts and policies.  5. Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Council Tax Benefits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the expenditure required from the public purse to  (a) raise to 50,000 and  (b) abolish the upper capital limit for council tax benefit; and if he will estimate the number of households which would pay a reduced rate of or no council tax as a result of such a change.

Kitty Ussher: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Increasing and abolishing the upper capital limit in council tax benefit 
			  Increase in upper capital limit  Number of beneficiaries  Cost in annually managed expenditure ( million per year) 
			 50,000 130,000 70 
			 No limit 150,000 80 
			  Notes:  1. All figures are for Great Britain.  2. Beneficiaries are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and costs are rounded to the nearest 10 million. These estimates include customers who gain and those who become entitled to the benefit.  3. Each beneficiary represents a benefit unit, which can be a single claimant or a couple.  4. The impact is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model for 2008-09, using data from the 2006-07 Family Resources Survey up-rated to 2008-09 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels, and is calibrated to latest published forecasts and policies.  5. Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Crisis Loans

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that crisis loans customers can obtain a face-to-face assessment at their local Jobcentre with crisis loans officers; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 31 March 2009
	 The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that crisis loans customers can obtain a face-to-face assessment at their local Jobcentre with crisis loans officers. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Our preferred method of accessing Crisis Loans is by the telephone and this process works well for the majority of our customers as the service is more accessible without the need to visit a Jobcentre.
	However, vulnerable customers who cannot use the telephone to access Crisis Loans do have the option of making an appointment for a face to face interview at their local Jobcentre. Processes are in place for the Jobcentre to immediately forward the application to a Crisis Loan Decision Maker to make the decision on the application and call the customer back with the outcome.

Crisis Loans

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans officers there are operating the telephone helpline service for customers; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 31 March 2009
	 The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question on how many crisis loans officers there are operating the telephone helpline service for customers. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	When the service was set up initially Jobcentre Plus had 800 Crisis Loan Decision Makers answering telephones and making decisions in the 20 Crisis Loan Benefit Delivery Centres. Due to an unprecedented rise in Crisis Loan applications which has more than doubled since October 2006, taking us to an average of 220,000 applications per month, plans were put in place to deploy an extra 700 staff from our Contact Centre Directorate to take Crisis Loan calls. The conversion of these 700 Contact Centre staff to offer the full telephone application and decision making process for Crisis Loans is due for completion by April 2009.
	This year we have seen further increases in applications to 275,000 for January and 272,000 for February 2009. Therefore, a decision has been made to increase our staff over the next year by an extra 300. This will take us to 1,800 Decision Makers overall.

Crisis Loans

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of calls made by customers for crisis loans which went through to a recorded message,  (b) the average number of calls a customer made before being connected to speak directly to a crisis loans officer and  (c) the number of complaints made by crisis loans customers on the inability to be connected to talk to a crisis loans officer via the telephone system in the latest period for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 31 March 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to answer your question on what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of calls made by customers for crisis loans which went through to a recorded message,  (b) the average number of calls a customer made before being connected to speak directly to a crisis loans officer and  (c) the number of complaints made by crisis loans customers on the inability to be connected to talk to a crisis loans officer via the telephone system in the latest period for which information is available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We do not have the information requested in this format.
	However, latest information available for February 2009 shows we made 272,000 Crisis Loan decisions and the majority of these would have been made over the telephone where all customers would have gone through the Interactive Voice Response messaging service before the call was answered. Due to high demand, it is unfortunately taking longer than usual to get through to our Crisis Loans agents but I have no evidence that all customers wanting a Crisis Loan do not eventually get through to make their application.
	I have received 49 complaints to me as Chief Executive about Crisis Loans in general from March 2008 to February 2009 compared to 2,774,032 Crisis Loan applications for the same period.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Jonathan R Shaw: Department for Work and Pensions Display Energy Certificates are in place in 375 buildings across England and Wales and in 45 buildings across Scotland. As disproportionate costs would be incurred to provide individual copies of the certificate and the accompanying advisory report, my officials are arranging for electronic copies of these documents to be prepared and placed in the Library.

Departmental Data Protection

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) organisational process and  (b) staff resources his Department uses to provide assurance on IT system security.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's Information Security Committee (a sub-committee of the Department's Executive Team) is responsible for information security issues across the Department. Operational responsibility for security is assigned to respective chief executives and heads of businesses within the Department. Other senior staff in the Department's agencies have specific responsibilities for promoting data and IT system security and report to their respective chief executives.
	Following the publication of the Cabinet Office's Review of Data Handling Procedures in Government, specific senior civil servants across the Department have been designated as Information Asset Owners who provide assurance to the Department's Senior Information Risk Owner that data assets are properly protected.
	The Department also deploys a range of internal and external professional security resources and suppliers to both deliver and assure its IT Infrastructure and systems.
	The Department is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security, assurance and the encryption of data. Its arrangements to ensure compliance with these measures comprise a system of self-assessment, accreditation, assurance reporting, audit and review.
	The Department does not publish details of the resources used to provide assurance over IT system security, staff or otherwise, as this could potentially threaten the security of information.

Departmental Internet

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1636-38W, on the departmental internet, how many hits each of the websites maintained by his Department received in each of the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The tables outline the page impressions for each of the websites maintained by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	
		
			  Table A: Websites operated by the Department for Work and Pensions where the Department is responsible for the content 
			   Department for Work and Pensions  Jobcentre Plus  The Pension Service  Child Support Agency 
			 March 2008 4,438,340 250,206,608 2,885,226 653,089 
			 April 2008 4,890,895 279,358,470 n/a 693,879 
			 May 2008 4,632,534 250,206,608 n/a 623,741 
			 June 2008 5,467,135 290,661,873 n/a 710,818 
			 July 2008 5,481,316 302,481,658 2,792,047 703,331 
			 August 2008 4,823,111 271,781,484 2,545,342 669,090 
			 September 2008 5,255,207 308,875,532 2,815,695 753,074 
			 October 2008 5,840,085 302,104,417 2,954,131 770,977 
			 November 2008 5,675,631 266,874,017 3,155,462 721,481 
			 December 2008 4,578,694 179,521,943 2,159,900 550,725 
			 January 2009 7,693,486 350,647,463 3,820,139 901,912 
			 February 2009 6,311,548 298,532,534 3,137,296 741,673 
		
	
	
		
			   Directgov Carers  Directgov Disability  Directgov over 50s  Directgov Jobs and Skills Search 
			 March 2008 307,581 1,300,776 438,118 15,812,733 
			 April 2008 327,393 1,434,791 434,884 23,791,855 
			 May 2008 279,429 1,164,606 294,965 19,269,288 
			 June 2008 315,728 1,243,904 321,516 22,951,946 
			 July 2008 321,083 1,291,101 336,221 25,937,505 
			 August 2008 298,200 1,206,271 349,620 21,188,100 
			 September 2008 331,579 1,321,886 389,937 23,803,716 
			 October 2008 357,209 1,390,235 400,452 24,721,075 
			 November 2008 357,971 1,300,776 416,613 22,366,816 
			 December 2008 265,159 1,434,791 304,269 n/a 
			 January 2009 472,298 1,300,776 678,359 21,320,809 
			 February 2009  1,434,791 565,034 60,402,038 
		
	
	
		
			   Age Positive  Office for Disability Issues  European Social Fund  Health and Safety Executive 
			 March 2008 53,692 46,370 57,495 10,152,266 
			 April 2008 64,450 52,021 35,240 8,676,657 
			 May 2008 77,281 57,474 58,541 7,727,433 
			 June 2008 85,586 53,154 63,781 8,040,120 
			 July 2008 67,995 58,098 48,604 7,447,961! 
			 August 2008 49,610 48,873 51,520 6,349,379 
			 September 2008 47,653 n/a 57,699 8,300,273 
			 October 2008 35,517 51,951 54,395 9,440,699 
			 November 2008 33,739 49,760 62,070 8,543,091 
			 December 2008 28,350 57,367 44,399 6,165,509 
			 January 2009 35,569 57,772 53,056 8,199,968 
			 February 2009 35,529  50,377 8,174,915 
		
	
	
		
			   Now Let's Talk Money 
			 March 2008 8,942 
			 April 2008 54,134 
			 May 2008 57,875 
			 June 2008 70,747 
			 July 2008 72,566 
			 August 2008 74,288 
			 September 2008 50,868 
			 October 2008 53,651 
			 November 2008 47,490 
			 December 2008 42,658 
			 January 2009 39,042 
			 February 2009 37,122 
			 n/a = Not available 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Websites operated by the Department for Work and Pensions where the Department is not responsible for the content 
			   Independent Case Examiner  Industrial injuries Advisory Council  Social Security Advisory Council 
			 March 2008 22,636 18,915 17,399 
			 April 2008 24,112 18,911 18,403 
			 May 2008 24,328 19,293 20,187 
			 June 2008 24,046 18,202 18,561 
			 July 2008 25,047 18,395 18,166 
			 August 2008 26,334 18,488 18,631 
			 September 2008 20,945 16,534 17,356 
			 October 2008 20,229 16,764 17,036 
			 November 2008 23,312 18,587 45,590 
			 December 2008 29,862 17,903 18,453 
			 January 2009 29,862 19,055 19,755 
			 February 2009 23,345 17,811 17,807

Departmental Internet

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) staff of and (b) contractors for his Department based in London are paid less than the London living wage.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 13 March 2009
	 The information is as follows.
	 (a) Full-time London based DWP employees have a 36 hour working week whereas the London Living Wage is calculated on the basis of a 38.5 hour working week. DWP employees based in London are paid on the relevant DWP inner or outer London payscale according to their grade and location. All of our directly employed London based employees are paid at a level above that of the London Living Wage when calculated on the basis of either a 36 or a 38.5 hour working week.
	 (b) DWP does not contractually require its suppliers to pay their employees at levels above the London Living Wage. It may be that within individual supply chains some employees are paid below the London Living Wage. However, it would be at a disproportionate cost to collect and collate the information requested.

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 626W, on departmental recruitment, what estimate he has made of the annual salary cost of the new  (a) permanent,  (b) temporary and  (c) agency staff recruited in each year since 2005-06.

Jonathan R Shaw: The overall pay bill cost for permanent and temporary staff employed by the Department in each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08 is published in the departmental report 2008. We are unable to identify the costs of newly recruited staff or agency staff without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's policy on away days, management conferences and seminars is that they should take place in venues which provide value for money taking account of the nature of the event.
	Where the hire of rooms or the use of hotel facilities is considered appropriate, this should be judged against the availability of reasonable alternatives, the location of the facilities in relation to the home location of the majority of attendees, and the associated travel costs.
	Any expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of managing public money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Disability Living Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of applications for disability living allowance were returned because the applicant was aged over 65 in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Applications for disability living allowance from people aged over 65 years are not returned to the customer but are treated as a claim for attendance allowance.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants in receipt of jobseeker's allowance have entered voluntary drug rehabilitation programmes in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 March 2009
	We do not collect information on the medical conditions of jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Economic and Monetary Union

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings representatives of his Department have had on the UK's potential membership of the euro in the last six months; and how many staff in his Department are engaged in work directly related to prospective membership of the euro.

Tony McNulty: There are six staff on the Department's Euro Steering Committee, which commissions work elsewhere within the Department as necessary to maintain the Department's state of readiness, in accordance with Government policy. All members of the Steering Committee undertake this work alongside their other duties. In the last six months there have been two internal meetings of officials, and one meeting with HM Treasury, on this subject
	The current focus of euro preparations work across the Department is on the governance arrangements for new IT developments, to ensure that any new systems incorporate an appropriate level of euro compatibility. Due to the nature of this work, we are not able to identify the number of people engaged in the euro-related aspect of these arrangements.

Employment and Support Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of  (a) new and  (b) existing employment and support allowance claimants will participate in progression to work pathfinders;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of  (a) new and  (b) existing employment and support allowance claimants will be covered by (i) progression to work pathfinders, (ii) invest to save pathfinders and (iii) personalised employment programme pilots;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of existing incapacity benefits claimants will be covered by the invest to save pathfinders.

Tony McNulty: One of the core recommendations from the Gregg review of conditionality was the creation of a new 'Progression to Work' group. Gregg recommends that this new approach should be for those people who may not be ready to work immediately, but who with the right mix of support and encouragement could get back into employment. This model would apply to employment and support allowance claimants (other than those in the employment and support allowance support group) and lone parents, and partners of benefit recipients, with children aged one to six. The Progression to Work pathfinders have been created as a result of this recommendation.
	The claimants involved in the Progression to Work group will be required to actively engage with their adviser on an ongoing basis to consider, discuss and agree an action plan comprising activities they think will improve their prospects of moving back into work. They must then undertake these agreed activities as part of their own journey towards employment following directions from advisers where these are strictly necessary. This will be underpinned with recourse to sanctions for those failing to engage with support without good cause. However, although still in the Progression to Work group, lone parents and partners of benefit recipients, with children aged one and two will be encouraged, rather than required, to undertake work related activity and will not be sanctioned for refusing to undertake work related activity.
	This pathfinder will cover approximately 10 to 15 per cent. of the new employment and support allowance claimants and parents with a youngest child aged between one and less than seven nationally. Based on current inflows, this equates to roughly 65,000 employment and support allowance claimants, 60,000 lone parents and 10,000 partners of benefit recipients each year. These pathfinders are anticipated to begin in late 2010 and last for two years. They are likely to be across six districts and delivery will be a mixture of provider led and Jobcentre Plus led.
	The Progression to Work pathfinders will not cover any existing employment and support allowance claimants.
	The Invest to Save pathfinders will not cover any new employment and support allowance claimants; it is planned that the pathfinders will cover existing incapacity benefits customers only, following migration to employment and support allowance. Based on published caseload projections, we estimate that approximately 17 per cent. of existing customers will be covered by these pathfinders. Estimates will be refined as part of the tendering process for the pathfinders and will be published at the Pre-Qualification-Questionnaire stage.
	The Invest to Save pathfinders will not cover any existing employment and support allowance claimants; the pathfinders will cover existing incapacity benefits customers only.
	We anticipate the Personalised Employment Programme pilots will, subject to the passage of legislation, cover approximately 6 per cent. of new employment and support allowance claimants. This equates to roughly 35,000 new employment and support allowance claimants annually, based on current inflows.
	We anticipate that Personalised Employment Programme pilots will not cover any existing employment and support allowance claimants.

European Social Fund

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what projects in each Government region are planned to receive funding from the European Social Fund in the period 2007 to 2013; and how much funding each such project will receive.

Tony McNulty: Regional lists of projects which will receive funding from the 2007-13 European Social Fund programme for England are available on the European Social Fund website at
	www.esf.gov.uk/esf_in_action/esf_projects.asp.
	The lists show the amount of funding each project will receive.

Housing Benefit

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish proposals for changes to housing benefit.

Kitty Ussher: In the Welfare Reform White Paper, 'Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future' (Cm 7506) published in December 2008, we announced our intention to launch a public consultation on housing benefit reform early in 2009. The timing of this consultation has not been finalised.

Incapacity Benefit: Voluntary Work

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reviews of entitlement to incapacity benefit have been triggered as a result of claimants undertaking voluntary work.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is not collated centrally.

Incentives

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how long he expects the employers' golden hello incentive scheme to operate.

Tony McNulty: The recruitment subsidy is part of the 0.5 billion package of jobs measures announced at the 12 January jobs summit. The package will be over two years from April 2009, subject to available funding.

Income Support

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claims for income support took  (a) fewer than five days,  (b) between five and 10 days,  (c) between 10 and 20 days,  (d) between 20 and 30 days,  (e) between 30 and 50 days,  (f) between 50 and 100 days and  (g) over 100 days to process in each of the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of claims for Income Support took (a) fewer than five days, (b) between five and 10 days, (c) between 10 and 20 days, (d) between 20 and 30 days, (e) between 30 and 50 days, (f) between 50 and 100 days and (g) over 100 days to process in each of the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years for which information is available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	In terms of volumes and percentages our benefit processing system records the number of Income Support claims processed within 1-5 days, 6-13 days and 13+ days. The data provided below regarding the volumes is displayed cumulatively for the first two time band setsup to 5 days and then up to 13 days. The 13+ day column then shows the remaining total of claims processed beyond this time period. The percentage figures are not cumulative and are subject to rounding.
	This data has been available since 2006. I have provided you with the yearly total for 2006/07 and 2007/08. I have also provided you with the in-month data for the last 12 months. The available information is in the attached annex.
	
		
			  Income support claims 
			  Month  Income support processed in  5 days  Income support processed in  6-13 days  Income support processed in  13+ days  Percentage  1-5 days  Percentage  6-13 days  Percentage  13 days + 
			  2008   
			 March 33,239 54,079 10,129 51.8 32.5 15.8 
			 April 38,051 65,258 13,011 48.6 34.8 16.6 
			 May 36,986 61,197 12,533 50.2 32.8 17.0 
			 June 38,332 64,702 11,902 50.0 34.4 15.5 
			 July 42,586 71,927 13,455 49.9 34.4 15.8 
			 August 40,102 67,602 12,688 49.9 34.3 15.8 
			 September 39,899 68,768 13,952 48.2 34.9 16.9 
			 October 42,244 73,510 15,908 47.2 35.0 17.8 
			 November 33,205 54,565 14,815 47.9 30.8 21.4 
			 December 23,973 36,914 9,044 52.2 28.2 19.7 
			
			  2009   
			 January 29,110 41,372 6,373 61.0 25.7 13.3 
			 February 26,054 37,796 5,491 60.2 27.1 12.7 
			
			 2006-07 344,758 650,823 224,478 39.4 35.0 25.6 
			 2007-08 404,079 704,716 173,928 46.0 34.2 19.8

Jobcentre Plus

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his contribution of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 176, on Woolworths, how many people made redundant from Woolworths as a result of its closure have found work through Jobcentre Plus.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 16 March 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking, pursuant to his contribution of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 176 on Woolworths how many people made redundant from Woolworths as a result of its closure have found work through Jobcentre Plus. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We do not have comprehensive information on the numbers of people made redundant from Woolworths who have found work through Jobcentre Plus as we do not record job outcomes achieved for former employees of particular employers: to do so would be prohibitively expensive. We do however know that large numbers of people who worked in Woolworths have found new work with Jobcentre Plus' help. In the retail sector, the skills, experience and knowledge of former Woolworths' employees have proven attractive to new employers.
	Our support for Woolworths' staff began with deployment of our Rapid Response Service, which meant for example that staff in almost all of Woolworths' stores were offered support before they closed. We issued over 8,000 packs to enable people to make claims for benefit, and in many instances provided on-site advice on benefits. Our advice and support on jobsearch has also been available to Woolworths' employees, both in the run up to store closure and afterwards.

Jobcentre Plus

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobcentres there were in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas in England in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available. Jobcentres are not categorised as constituting part of an urban conurbation or being sited within a rural location.

Jobcentre Plus

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of reopening Jobcentre Plus branches in market towns more than 15 miles from the nearest branch.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. and learned Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will consider the merits of reopening Jobcentre Plus branches in market towns more than 15 miles from the nearest branch. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus Customer Service Directors constantly review their service delivery plans to ensure optimum provision of service for all customers, for every Jobcentre Plus District. This is especially important in the context of the current economic conditions and welfare reform changes planned for the next two to three years.
	In addition to our network of modernised Jobcentres we make our services accessible to customers by providing a range of support through outreach, often delivering advisory and other support on partners' premises. That is important in locations where maintaining a Jobcentre could not be justified. Typically such services can be delivered in partnership with Children's Centres or on Local Authority premises or in conjunction with one of our Welfare to Work Providers.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now also delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line.
	For these reasons, we have no plans to reopen Jobcentre Plus offices in the way you suggest, but will continue to explore realistic ways of delivering services that meet the needs of our customers.

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus offices  (a) have closed in the last 12 months and  (b) are scheduled for closure; what the reason for closure is in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobcentre Plus offices (a) have closed in the last 12 months and (b) are scheduled for closure; what the reason for closure is in each case. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	54 Jobcentre Plus offices were closed during 2008 that were previously open to the public. During the summer of 2008 every Jobcentre Plus district was asked to begin a review of their service delivery plans, taking account of current economic conditions and future changes. That initial review led to a decision, announced before Christmas, to suspend the planned closure of 25 Jobcentres. A further three small sites in London were closed during March 2009. These had been announced last summer prior to the decision to suspend future closures. No further Jobcentre closures are planned at the present time.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network and I believe Jobcentre Plus is well-placed to respond to the full range of economic conditions.
	I have asked the Customer Service Directors in our Regions to keep their plans under review so that we continue to respond effectively to customer demand.

Jobcentre Plus: Compensation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many compensation payments, and of what total value, were paid to Jobcentre Plus customers in the form of  (a) payments to restore customers to their original financial position and  (b) consolatory payments (i) in each year from 2002 to 2009 and (ii) in each of the last 24 months, broken down by (A) region and (B) Jobcentre Plus district.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves to Justine Greening
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many compensation payments, and of what total value, were paid to Jobcentre Plus customers in the form of (a) payments to restore customers to their original financial position and (b) consolatory payments (i) in each year from 2002 to 2009 and (ii) in each of the last 24 months, broken down by (A) region and (B) Jobcentre Plus district. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Payments to restore customers to their original financial position are shown in the first table below. This information is not available before 2003. Details of consolatory payments made by Jobcentre Plus are shown in the second table. These payments are known as Special Payments. In both cases, the information requested is not available broken down by month, region or Jobcentre Plus district and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Payments to restore customers to their original financial position 
			   Number of payments authorised  Net amount authorised  () 
			 2003-04 1,126 258,937.03 
			 2004-05 2,193 220,033.04 
			 2005-06 1,801 206,512.10 
			 2006-07 1,679 235,189.33 
			 2007-08 1,007 145,177.60 
			 2008-09 (to February 2009) 1,339 173,197.32 
		
	
	
		
			  Special Payments (consolatory payments) 
			   Number of payments authorised  Net amount authorised  () 
			 2002-03 932 90,315.67 
			 2003-04 998 96,360.43 
			 2004-05 1,298 125,654.88 
			 2005-06 1,265 108,520.49 
			 2006-07 1,389 113,316.75 
			 2007-08 2,247 155,222.73 
			 2008-09 (to February 2009) 932 90,315.67 
			  Source:  Returns from Regional Jobcentre Plus special payments teams.

Jobcentre Plus: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered unemployed people in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency Jobcentre Plus has assisted in finding work in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of sickness absence attributable to work-related stress among staff in jobcentres in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such levels of absence on the delivery of jobcentre services.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what estimate he has made of the level of sickness absence attributable to work-related stress among staff in jobcentres in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such levels of absence on the delivery of jobcentre services. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus do not collect absence data specific to work related stress, as the causes of stress are complex and difficult to attribute to a single cause. We do, however, collect detailed data on the causes of sickness absence, including absences attributed to mental health problems, and through close monitoring are able to identify problem areas.
	Jobcentre Plus is very aware of the negative impact of sickness absence on customer service and is committed to improving performance in this area. Indeed, our strategies are delivering considerable success, with the latest data confirming the improving trend we have seen over the last 12 months. We remain committed to securing further improvements.
	Stress management and prevention are fundamental aspects of this approach, and we have a number of tools to support managers and staff achieve these objectives. These include risk assessment policies, developed by our psychologists, in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive, to identify working practices that might create pressure and to address stress experienced by individual employees regardless of the cause. These are supplemented by comprehensive lifestyle guidance for all staff on how to reduce personal stress levels.
	Stress prevention is integral to wellbeing products available to all staff. For example, our people have 24-hour access to professional stress counsellors and to debt/legal advice free of charge. We also help managers to support their staff by providing them with access to medical advice provided by occupational health doctors and nurses.
	In addition, we are embarking upon a major health and wellbeing programme across all of our sites. The programme provides staff with a wealth of information and guidance to support healthier lifestyles, gives them access to a confidential on-line health and wellbeing assessment and delivers targeted solutions to support the individual. The programme also provides managers at our Jobcentres with comprehensive information about the potential health risks to their staff, ensuring specific preventative action is taken to address the issues.

Jobcentre Plus: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many personal advisers were employed in job centres in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Personal Advisers were employed in Jobcentres in Hemel Hempstead and Hertfordshire in each of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of personal advisers in Jobcentres in Hemel Hempstead and Hertfordshire (full time equivalents) 
			  Years  Hemel Hempstead Jobcentre  All Jobcentres in Hertfordshire including Hemel Hempstead 
			 2004-05 5.50 29.72 
			 2005-06 9.51 88.27 
			 2006-07 12.23 82.16 
			 2007-08 11.68 82.65 
			 2008-09 17.07 102.67 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus Activity Based Management System 
		
	
	At the beginning of 2005-06 Jobcentre Plus implemented a more robust system that is designed to enable more accurate adviser activity reporting. At that time, as part of our Welfare to Work strategy, Jobcentre Plus expanded the Personal Adviser role to include specialist advisers for specific client groups, for example lone parents and customers aged over 50. This change was to improve the help it provides to customers who face additional barriers in returning to employment.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many personal advisers working in Jobcentre Plus are graded at  (a) executive officer and  (b) higher executive officer level; and what the pay scales for each of those grades is.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many personal advisers working in Jobcentre Plus are graded at (a) executive officer and (b) higher executive officer; and what the pay scales for those grades are. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Personal Advisers in Jobcentre Plus are all graded at Band C which is equivalent to Executive Officer level. There are currently over 9,700 Personal Adviser full time equivalents in Jobcentre Plus. Personal Advisers are managed by Advisory Services Managers who are graded at Band D, which is equivalent to Higher Executive Officer level and there are currently over 900 full time equivalent people in this role.
	The pay scales for Personal Advisers are those for EO/Band C and are as follows:
	
		
			  Pay scales for personal advisers 
			   
			   National  Inner London  Outer London  Specified locations 
			 Minimum 19,650 23,240 21,910 21,620 
			 Maximum 23,990 27,850 26,680 26,210 
		
	
	The pay scales for Advisory services managers are those for HEO/Band D and are as follows:
	
		
			  Pay scales for advisory services managers 
			   
			   National  Inner London  Outer London  Specified locations 
			 Minimum 24,410 27,970 26,800 26,280 
			 Maximum 29,500 33,190 32,020 31,550 
			  Note: Specified locations pay zones are those where recruitment difficulties historically have led to an increase in local salary scales. Generally these apply across much of the South East, outside the London pay zones.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many personal advisers were employed in jobcentres in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many personal advisers were employed in jobcentres in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last 5 years. This is something that falls within my responsibilities as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of personal a dvisers employed in j obcentres in Copeland and Cumbria in the last five years 
			  Year ending:  Copeland  Cumbria 
			 March 2005 (see note 2) 15 87 
			 March 2006 11 79 
			 March 2007 12 74 
			 March 2008 15 77 
			 March 2009 13 72 
			  Notes: 1. The Copeland area includes Jobcentres in Cleator Moor and Whitehaven. 2. Process changes between 2004-05 and the following years mean that this data is not comparable with later years.  Source: Jobcentre Plus 
		
	
	We are closely managing our capacity to respond to the rising business volumes we are experiencing. The number of Personal Advisers in Cumbria will therefore be increasing in the coming months. Our planning for this increase is yet to be finalised and I know that Steve Johnson, District Manager for Jobcentre Plus in Cumbria and Lancashire, would be happy to discuss this with you at the meeting you have scheduled with him on 5 June.

Jobcentre Plus: Pay

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the salary cost was of  (a) permanent,  (b) temporary and  (c) agency staff employed in (i) benefit delivery centres, (ii) customer-facing jobcentres and (iii) contact centres operated by Jobcentre Plus in each (A) region and (B) Jobcentre Plus district (1) in each year since 2002 and (2) in each of the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Jobcentre Plus: Sick Leave

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of levels of sickness absence attributable to work-related stress of staff in jobcentres in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency in the last period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such levels of absence on the delivery of jobcentre services.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what assessment has been made of levels of sickness absence attributable to work-related stress in jobcentres in Cumbria and Copeland constituencies, and what assessment he has made of the effect of such levels of absence on the delivery of jobcentre services. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Pus do not collect absence data specific to work related stress, as the causes of stress are complex and difficult to attribute to a single cause. We do, however, collect detailed data on the causes of sickness absence, including absences attributed to mental health problems, and through close monitoring are able to identify problem areas.
	Jobcentre Plus is very aware of the negative impact of sickness absence on customer service and is committed to improving performance in this area. Indeed, our strategies are delivering considerable success, with the latest data confirming the improving trend we have seen over the last 12 months. We remain committed to securing further improvements.
	Stress management and prevention are fundamental aspects of this approach, and we have a number of tools to support managers and staff achieve these objectives. These include risk assessment policies, developed by our psychologists, in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive, to identify working practices that might create pressure and to address stress experienced by individual employees regardless of the cause. These are supplemented by comprehensive lifestyle guidance for all staff on how to reduce personal stress levels.
	Stress prevention is integral to wellbeing products available to all staff. For example, our people have 24-hour access to professional stress counsellors and to debt/legal advice free of charge. We also help managers to support their staff by providing them with access to medical advice provided by occupational health doctors and nurses.
	In addition, we are embarking upon a major health and wellbeing programme across all of our sites. The programme provides staff with a wealth of information and guidance to support healthier lifestyles, gives them access to a confidential on-line health and wellbeing assessment and delivers targeted solutions to support the individual. The programme also provides managers at our Jobcentres with comprehensive information about the potential health risks to their staff, ensuring specific preventative action is taken to address the issues.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the latest customer satisfaction levels are for Jobcentre Plus customers; how those levels were measured; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the latest satisfaction levels were for social fund customers who have received crisis loans, budgeting loans or community care grants; how those levels were measured; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 March 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what the latest customer satisfaction levels are for Jobcentre Plus customers; how those levels were measured; and what the latest satisfaction levels were for social fund customers who have received crisis loans budgeting loans or community care grants; and how those levels were measured. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The most recent Jobcentre Plus Customer Satisfaction Survey took place in 2007 and found that 80 per cent. of customers were satisfied with the standard of service provided by Jobcentre Plus. Customers on Income Support were the most satisfied (84 per cent.), followed by Incapacity Benefit customers (80 per cent.) and Jobseeker's Allowance customers (74 per cent.).
	The Survey was conducted by telephone between June and August 2007 with over 4,000 Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit customers, although alternative completion methods were available to customers. The Survey was carried out independently by the Policy Research Institute of Leeds Metropolitan University. The next Jobcentre Plus Customer Satisfaction Survey is planned to be conducted in Summer 2009.
	To measure customer satisfaction, customers were asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with all of the services provided by Jobcentre Plus. Satisfaction was measured as the percentage of customers who said they were either fairly or very satisfied with the services provided.
	Jobcentre Plus does not measure customer satisfaction levels separately for Social Fund customers who have received Crisis Loans, Budgeting Loans or Community Care Grants. Customers who claim Social Fund may have been interviewed as part of the 2007 Jobcentre Plus Customer Satisfaction Survey, but their responses cannot be disaggregated.
	Jobcentre Plus has a Customer Service Target which measures how well the business delivers its services to customers against a set of standards. Although the Customer Service Target does not measure customer satisfaction, it does reflect the three main ways in which Jobcentre Plus customers access Jobcentre Plus servicesin person, by telephone and electronically. The overall national target is to achieve an overall 86 per cent. rating for standards of:
	timeliness;
	professionalism; and
	information accuracy and comprehensiveness.
	Performance on the Customer Service Target for the current year to date is 85.8 per cent.

Jobseeker's Allowance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1995W, on jobseeker's allowance, how many claimants were paid UK contribution-based jobseeker's allowance by the Employment Service in each EU member state in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on such payments to claimants in each EU member state.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of claimants of jobseeker's allowance have been excused from meeting jobseeker's allowance rules in each month of the last two years for which information is available;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of claimants of jobseeker's allowance have been excused from meeting jobseeker's allowance rules in each month of the last two years for which information is available;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of claimants of jobseeker's allowance have been excused from meeting jobseeker's allowance rules in each year since 1997 for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available. There is no policy in place which allows jobseekers to be excused from meeting jobseeker's allowance rules although different rules can apply in different circumstances.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who began to claim jobseeker's allowance in each month between October 2005 and September 2008 claimed for a period of  (a) less than three months and  (b) between three and six months.

Tony McNulty: Figures are available broken down by quarter. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of jobseeker's allowance claimants by each quarter, by duration of claim 
			   Unknown duration  0 to3 months  3 to 6 months  Over 6 months 
			 November 2005 4,800 95,800 119,800 142,600 
			 February 2006 4,800 113,900 117,300 125,700 
			 May 2006 5,300 94,800 108,500 109,000 
			 August 2006 4,700 123,400 107,600 118,000 
			 November 2006 6,700 104,600 126,800 120,300 
			 February 2007 13,600 124,100 120,300 92,300 
			 May 2007 19,000 101,500 103,900 71,000 
			 August 2007 27,100 120,100 74,100 70,200 
			 November 2007 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 February 2008 87,400 114,800 113,100 26,000 
			 May 2008 167,500 111,300 50,400 n/a 
			 August 2008 285,700 19,100 n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures for November 2007 are not available due to jobseeker's allowance data for that quarter not being received by IFD. 3. Figures for August 2008 will be revised when the new quarter's data are released. 4. Data shown are quarterly due to the frequency of the 5 per cent. data. 5. Caution should exercised when looking at the August 2008 quarter as this maybe deficient due to a proportion of claims being received late. The best statistics on benefits are now derived from 100 per cent. data sources. However, the 5 per cent. sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources. Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate (IFD), 5 per cent. sample.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in  (a) the UK,  (b) England and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in 2009-10.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.
	While we do not predict future levels of unemployment, we are planning for the impact of higher levels of jobseeker's allowance claims in the coming months.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants identified as having a drug addiction in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: We do not collect information on the medical conditions of jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming jobseeker's allowance are above the age of 50.

Tony McNulty: As at February 2009, there are 216,690 people claiming jobseeker's allowance in Great Britain aged 50 and over.
	 Notes:
	1. Number of claimants rounded to nearest five.
	2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	3. Figures exclude clerical cases.
	 Source:
	100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only).

Jobseeker's Allowance

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time between submission of a claim for jobseeker's allowance and the claimant receiving the first jobseeker's allowance payment was in the last period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the average time between submission of a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) being submitted and the claimant receiving the first Jobseeker's Allowance payment was in the last period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The measurement of performance we use for JSA is known as the Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT). This is a calculation derived from an average of all the cases processed on our benefit processing system against the time each of those cases has taken to be processed. For JSA the two dates used to calculate this average are from the initial date of contact by the customer (i.e. their call to one of our Contact Centres) to the date a decision is made on their claim and a letter of eligibility is issued to them.
	We cannot measure when the customer actually receives their first payment. The payment will be issued, if the customer is eligible, on the date a letter is issued. Monies will become available to the customer once they have passed through the banking clearance system for the relevant bank/building society or the Post Office Card Account, or when the postal system delivers a cheque payment for the customer to cash.
	The AACT for JSA currently stands at 10.5 days (in month at February 2009) and 10.2 days (year to date). This is within the target of 11.5 days.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a jobseeker's allowance claim by a person registered as unemployed in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency was in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  The median duration of Jobseeker's Allowance completed claims in the parliamentary constituency of Copeland and the County of Cumbria, for the last five years. 
			   Copeland  Cumbria 
			   Number  Median  Number  Median 
			 March 2004 - February 2005 (inclusive) 3,525 10.1 18,500 8.8 
			 March 2005 - February 2006 (inclusive) 2,990 10.7 16,795 9.0 
			 March 2006 - February 2007 (inclusive) 3,010 12.2 17,205 10.1 
			 March 2007 - February 2008 (inclusive) 3,180 10.5 17,470 9.3 
			 March 2008 - February 2009 (inclusive) 3,155 9.6 17,545 7.9 
			  Notes: 1. Data are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk 2. Completed claims are rounded to the nearest five 3. Median is measured in number of weeks 4. Median is a better measure of average than arithmetic mean for skewed distributions such as duration of claim.  Source:  DWP WPLS 100 percent data

Jobseeker's Allowance: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long on average an unemployed person resident in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire claimed jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Median duration of Jobseeker's Allowance completed claims in Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency and Hertfordshire, for the last five years 
			   Hemel Hempstead  Hertfordshire 
			   Number  Median  Number  Median 
			 March 2004 to February 2005 3,355 9.1 29,460 8.3 
			 March 2005 to February 2006 3,305 9.6 28,255 9.1 
			 March 2006 to February 2007 3,540 10.4 30,190 10.0 
			 March 2007 to February 2008 3,910 10.0 31,145 9.4 
			 March 2008 to February 2009 3,735 7.5 32,105 7.1 
			  Notes: 1. Data are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk. 2. Completed claims are rounded to the nearest five. 3. Median is measured in number of weeks. 4. Median is a better measure of average than arithmetic mean for skewed distributions such as duration of claim.  Source: DWP WPLS 100 per cent. data

Members: Correspondence

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Independent Case Examiner plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Eastbourne of 6 August, 29 September, 21 October and 20 November 2008 and 16 February 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent, Mr. A Siegel; and when the Secretary of State expects the matter raised in the correspondence to be resolved.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Independent Case Examiner's office last wrote to the hon. Member on 9 December 2008 asking for further details of Mr. Siegel and his complaint, to enable them to provide an answer to the issues raised. They have no record of having received a reply. The Independent Case Examiner's office contacted the Member's constituency secretary on 31 March 2009 to request details of his letter of 16 February 2009. The Independent Case Examiner's office will write to the hon. Member separately to progress matters.

National Insurance Contributions

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many temporary national insurance numbers were issued in the last 12 months; and how many are extant.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 30 March 2009
	 The Department for Work and Pensions does not issue temporary national insurance numbers.

New Deal Schemes: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget for the Flexible New Deal in  (a) phase 1 and  (b) phase 2 is; and whether he plans to revise the budget following the revised estimates of the numbers of people flowing through each phase provided to those tendering to administer the Flexible New Deal.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 : The indicative budget for phase 1 of the flexible new deal was included in the invitation to tender at an average of 236.6 million per annum, and the bids are subject to ongoing evaluation and commercial negotiation. Phase 2 indicative budgets will be announced as part of the procurement process later this year.
	The Department does not forecast levels of long-term unemployment or the future number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance. However, for planning purposes the Department does make use of the HM Treasury unemployment assumption, which is based on an average of a number of independent unemployment forecasts. These figures are planning assumptions only and do not reflect an official view of numbers of unemployed people or the duration of unemployment. An update to this assumption will be published in the Budget.

Pathways to Work

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the financial viability of Pathways to Work contracts in the current economic climate; and whether his Department has varied  (a) contractual terms and  (b) payment timings on any Pathways to Work contracts since their establishment.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 31 March 2009
	The financial viability of providers is assessed before we award a contract, and throughout the contract life. Where any financial viability risks are identified the Department's financial specialists seek robust and appropriate mitigation and ensure that management plans are put in place.
	The Department, working in consultation with providers, has been looking at approaches to improve performance of Pathways to Work contracts. Among the actions agreed, we have been prepared to consider re-profiling the payment of the service fee element, to reflect more closely the expenditure and income generation of providers. This re-profiling does not, overall, change the contractual terms, the value or the total amount payable for outcomes against the service fee or the overall performance expectations. Each contract is being looked at on an individual basis and of the 11 providers involved, we have agreed to re-profile in nine cases.

Pensioners: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex have not yet received their Christmas bonus from his Department.

Rosie Winterton: By 15 March 2009, 15.3 million scheduled additional Christmas bonus payments of 60 had been paid to pensioners and other eligible recipients. It is possible that a small number of customers may not have received their payment. Therefore exceptionally, some payments may need to be made clerically.
	An exercise to identify the very small number of qualifying customers who have not yet received their payment is being undertaken.

Pensioners: Ex-servicemen

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter of response to the representations made in the report from the Royal British Legion and Age Concern on the situation of ex-service pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 26 March 2009
	 The director general of the Royal British Legion wrote to the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform drawing attention to the Return to Rationing Campaign and the needs of ex-service and other pensioners. The then Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Plaskitt) replied on 24 September 2008 and a copy of the reply has been placed in the Library.
	We have since received a number of further representations in support of the Royal British Legion campaign and have replied in similar terms.

Pensioners: National Insurance Contributions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an estimate of the cost of extending eligibility to buy back six additional years of national insurance contributions to  (a) men and  (b) women reaching state pension age in (i) 1978, (ii) 1988 and (iii) 1998; and if he will estimate the cost of such extension to all those reaching pension age within these time periods, regardless of qualifying years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Self-Employed

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support formerly self-employed persons without work;
	(2)  if he will adjust the criteria for claiming contribution-based jobseeker's allowance to enable formerly self-employed persons without work to claim the allowance.

Tony McNulty: The Government are doing everything they can to help those who become unemployed back into work as quickly as possible. We are investing an extra 1.3 billion to ensure that through Jobcentre Plus we can continue to provide personal help and advice to everyone who needs it.
	Income-based jobseeker's allowance is available to self-employed people who meet the eligibility criteria. The Department administers a wide range of benefits and allowances that are available to people on low incomes. Self-employed people who meet the qualifying criteria may be entitled to housing benefit, council tax benefit and help with NHS charges. Those working and on a low income may be entitled to working tax credit whilst those with children may be entitled to child tax credit.
	Class 2 national insurance contributions provide self-employed people with protection against ill-health, bereavement and old age by providing entitlement to employment and support allowance, bereavement benefits and basic state pension and the rate of contributions they pay reflects this. There are no plans to extend this entitlement to contributory jobseeker's allowance.

Social Security Benefits: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit entitlement checks have been carried out on people in  (a) Crosby constituency and  (b) England in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what scientific evidential basis has been used by his Department in its analysis of the use of voice risk analysis technology by benefit authorities; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment of the efficacy of the use of voice risk analysis technology by benefit authorities his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned from (i) independent bodies and (ii) service providing contractors; and what the (A) methodology and (B) conclusions of those assessments is;
	(3)  what disability impact assessment of the use of voice risk analysis technology in each pilot benefit authority his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned from (i) independent bodies and (ii) service providing contractors; and what the (A) methodology and (B) conclusions of those assessments are;
	(4)  what assessments of the use of voice risk analysis technology by benefit authorities have been published by his Department.

Tony McNulty: There is a body of published scientific research on voice risk analysis, but there is no published research on the efficacy of the technology when applied to benefit claims. The Department is therefore conducting its own research into the efficacy of voice risk analysis based on trials by local authorities and Jobcentre Plus. The Department's evaluation is being conducted by departmental statisticians who are bound by a National Code of Practice. The Department has not commissioned any independent bodies or service providing contractors to conduct an evaluation.
	The Department's assessment of its voice risk analysis trials during 2007-08 in Jobcentre Plus and local authorities, and details of its evaluation methodology, have been published. I refer the hon. Member to the  Official Report, column 19WS of the 11 March. Each local authority conducting trials of voice risk analysis technology is responsible for completing a disability impact assessment. This is a prerequisite to participation in the Department's trial.
	In accordance with departmental policy on carrying out equality impact assessments Jobcentre Plus conducted an initial screening on their voice risk analysis pilot. The pilot was restricted to assessing whether the technology could successfully identify the difference between high and low risk readings. As the pilot processes were specifically designed to test the voice risk analysis technology only and not its use as a new process or policy for implementation across Jobcentre Plus, it was concluded a full impact assessment was not required.
	The Department has not commissioned any independent bodies or service providing contractors to conduct a disability impact assessment.

Social Security Benefits: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit entitlement checks have been carried out for people in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) England in the last 12 months.

Kitty Ussher: This information is not held centrally.

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the additional annual cost to the public purse of uprating the basic state pension in line with earnings from 2010-11.

Rosie Winterton: The gross additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and the 2007 Pensions Act reforms are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Gross additional basic state pension spend due to pension reform and restoring uprating the basic state pension by earnings from 2010-11, 2008-09 prices. 
			billion 
			 2010-11 0.1 
			 2011-12 0.5 
			 2012-13 0.5 
			 2013-14 1.6 
			 2014-15 2.6 
			 2015-16 3.6 
			 2020-21 9.2 
			 2030-31 24.9 
			 2040-41 48.7 
			 2050-51 70.0 
			  Notes:  1. Baseline published projections of expenditure on pensioner benefits assume that the basic state pension is increased by earnings from 2012.  2. Estimates given show the gross additional basic state pension spend due to increasing the basic state pension by earnings from 2010 and implementing the 2007 Pensions Act reforms from April 2010. During the next Parliament, we will re-link the uprating of the basic state pension to average earnings. Our objective, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, is to do this in 2012, but in any event by the end of the next Parliament at the latest. We will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament.  3. Estimates do not reflect the estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit).  4. In the financial years up to and including 2013-14 Treasury Economic assumptions consistent with PBR 2008 have been used to model earnings uprating. After this point a long term earnings growth assumption of 4.93 per cent. has been applied. 5. Estimates are in 2008-09 prices, have been rounded to the nearest 100 million and include UK and overseas claimants.  Source:  DWP modelling.

Training: HIV Infection

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what programmes his Department is funding to assist people with  (a) HIV and  (b) other long-term conditions back to work; and whether staff running those programmes receive HIV-specific training.

Tony McNulty: Jobcentre Plus is committed to supporting people with a disability or health condition, including those with HIV and other long-term conditions to find suitable, sustainable employment. It does this through its personal advisers, including disability employment advisers, and a variety of programmes and services aimed at supporting customers with disabilities and health conditions.
	Jobcentre Plus works with a range of providers from the private, public and voluntary sectors to provide specialist disability programmes to help people with a disability or health condition, including HIV, to overcome the labour market barriers they may face. These programmes include Work Preparation, Workstep (a programme of supported employment), New Deal for Disabled People and residential training. Disability employment advisers also have access to work psychologists to assist them in supporting customers if appropriate.
	For customers claiming benefits due to illness or disability the Pathways to Work programme helps move them into or nearer to work. Pathways to Work offers, among other things, a series of interviews with a personal adviser and training programmes to increase skills, confidence or help to manage a health condition.
	People who are in work or due to start work and need support can claim help from Access to Work. Access to Work can provide practical advice and support to the disabled person and their employer to help them overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. All Access to Work support is tailored to the individual's needs.
	From Autumn 2010 the new specialist disability programme will replace the existing Workstep and work preparation programmes and will be designed as a single streamlined and flexible programme based on effective needs assessment and creation of tailored packages of appropriate support.
	There is a comprehensive programme of learning designed to equip Jobcentre Plus advisers with the full range of knowledge and skills required to support all customers. This learning routeway provides the adviser with the key knowledge and skills to interview customers and enable them to work effectively with customers with disabilities or health conditions. Part of the training is a Disability Confident course which explains various disabilities and health conditions, including HIV and other long term conditions, and what would be considered reasonable adjustment by employers.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons he proposes a UK reservation to Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; what discussions he has had with representatives of devolved administrations in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland on his proposal; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK Government propose to enter an interpretative declaration and a reservation in respect of article 24 of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The interpretative declaration will make clear that the UK general education system includes both mainstream and special schools, thereby clarifying how the UK Government interpret the convention. This will make it clear that special schools are considered part of the UK's general education system and that parents have the right to express a preference for a special school. A reservation will allow for circumstances where disabled children's needs may be best met through specialist provision, which may be some way from their homeso they will need to be educated outside their local community. This also maintains parental choice for schools outside the local community.
	I met representatives from the Northern Ireland Assembly on 11 December 2008, and of the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament on 14 December 2008. The Government's proposals for ratifying the convention, including the declaration and reservation in respect of article 24 were discussed at these meetings.

Unemployed: Voluntary Work

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage the long-term unemployed to engage in voluntary work.

Tony McNulty: There are already a number of flexibilities within jobseeker's allowance for claimants who are volunteers at any point during their claim. Jobseekers who do voluntary work do not have to attend a job interview or take up a job straight away. They are allowed 48 hours to attend a job interview and one week to take up a job offer. In addition any money they receive to cover expenses incurred while volunteering (for food, travel, etc.) does not affect their benefit entitlement.
	Our view is that the benefit rules strike a proper balance between allowing benefit recipients to pursue voluntary activity while at the same time encouraging them to retain a clear focus on moving off welfare into paid work. Our recent White Paper, Raising Expectations and Increasing Support (Cm 7506, 10 December) set out our vision and route map for a welfare state where everyone is given the help they need to get back to work.

Unemployment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of people who registered as jobseekers in the last six months who were under 40 years of age.

Tony McNulty: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants under 40 years of age in Great Britain 
			   Percentage 
			  2008  
			 September 66.2 
			 October 65.8 
			 November 65.3 
			 December 65.4 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 64.8 
			 February 65.2 
			  Notes:  1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.  2. Claimant count data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk.  3. Figures exclude clerical cases.   Source:  100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems (computer held cases only).

Unemployment Benefits

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 94W, on unemployment benefits 
	(1)  whether his Department holds any elements of the information requested;
	(2)  for what reasons the information requested is not available.

Tony McNulty: Any such estimates could be collated only at disproportionate cost. This is because the Department holds records of people who have signed on but does not, and cannot, hold records of people who have not signed on, whatever their reason for not signing on may be.

Unemployment Benefits

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the application of the provisions of the national minimum wage to individuals whom it is proposed should work for their benefits under the provisions of the Welfare Reform Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 Participants in Work for Your Benefit will be undertaking work-experience as part of an employment programme designed to get them back into work. Individuals taking part in work placements on government programmes do so on the basis that such participation gives them work experience or training which adds value and which improves their employability.
	Existing Government policy for people participating in employment programmes is that a person who continues to receive financial support from the Government is not entitled to receive the national minimum wage while on a work placement. As such the national minimum wage will not apply in Work for Your Benefit.
	Discussions have taken place between BERR and DWP to ensure the Work for Your Benefit programme will be consistent with national minimum wage legislation.

Vacancies: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's latest estimate has made of the number of job vacancies in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many job vacancies there were in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency. (263799)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of vacancies from the Vacancy Survey, however estimates below UK are not available from this source.
	An alternative source of information on job vacancies is administrative data from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey, however geographical breakdowns of this data are available.
	Table 1 attached, shows the number of live unfilled job vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus for Cumbria and Copeland constituency, in February 2009, the most recent period for which figures are available. Figures from Jobcentre Plus for Great Britain, along with three month averages for the UK from the Vacancy Survey have also been included for comparison.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of job vacancies( 1)  in Cumbria and Copeland parliamentary constituency 
			  Not seasonally adjusted 
			   Copeland  Cumbria  GB 
			 February 2009 124 1,290 239,000 
			  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Administrative Data. 
		
	
	
		
			  Seasonally adjusted 
			   UK 
			 December to February 2009 482,000 
			 (1) Job vacancies for Copeland parliamentary constituency and Cumbria are live unfilled vacancies from the Jobcentre Plus administrative data. These are inconsistent with the UK figures from the ONS Vacancy Survey.   Source:  Vacancy Survey, ONS.

Vacancies: Marketing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints regarding the advertising of vacancies within the adult entertainment industry have been received from  (a) pressure groups,  (b) jobseekers who have seen the vacancies advertised,  (c) jobseekers who have applied for such vacancies and  (d) members of staff in each year since 2003 for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many complaints regarding the advertising of certain vacancies from within the adult entertainment industry have been received from  (a) pressure groups;  (b) jobseekers who have seen the vacancies advertised;  (c) jobseekers who have applied for such vacancies; and  (d) members of staff in each year since 2003 for which information is available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I am only able to provide you with the level of information you require from 2006 onwards. Prior to that the information is limited. The available information is in the table below.
	
		
			  Recorded complaints received regarding the advertising of adult entertainment industry vacancies 
			  Number 
			  Category  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Pressure groups n/a n/a n/a 1 1 12 14 
			 Jobseekersseen the vacancies n/a n/a n/a 7 7 9 23 
			 Jobseekersapplied for the vacancies 1 1 1 0 2 0 5 
			 Members of staff n/a n/a n/a 0 1 2 3 
			 Total 1 1 1 8 11 23 45 
			 n/a = Not available.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus.

Vocational Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps have been taken to assist single parents in finding work.

Kitty Ussher: Lone parents are supported by a wide package of pre-employment and in-work support measures to help them move into paid work; make work pay, and help sustainability and progression in work.
	From November 2008 customers who claim benefit solely on the grounds of being a lone parent and have a youngest child aged 12 or over, and who are capable of work, will claim jobseeker's allowance. This will be followed by lone parents with a youngest child aged 10 or over from October 2009, and aged seven or over from October 2010.
	On 28 January 2009 we published the discussion document Realising Potential: Developing Personalised Conditionality and Support. This set out our proposals for how we plan to run Pathfinders in income support which will require parents with a youngest child aged three to six to work closely with their personal adviser and design their own routeway back to work through work-related activity, including training, if appropriate.

Vocational Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps have been taken to assist low-skilled people in finding work.

Tony McNulty: We work with jobseekers from day one to help them identify and get the skills they need to enter work and remain there. We continue to focus particular help where people have basic skills needs and enable them to train from the beginning of their claim. Jobcentre Plus personal advisers are also able to agree early access to the job-search and training support offered by the New Deal for people whose circumstances may make it particularly hard to find work. The introduction of the Flexible New Deal will establish a new, individually-tailored approach for all job seekers, whatever their age, skills or barriers to work.
	In autumn 2008 the Government announced that additional funding of 158 million has been made available through the European Social Fund for the Learning and Skills Council's Train to Gain programme. This will enable the newly unemployed or those facing redundancy to undertake training linked to opportunities in the local labour market for up to two weeks full time or eight weeks part time. This includes funding of up to 29 million to enable the nextstep service to increase its support to people who are facing redundancy, are newly redundant or who are further disadvantaged as a result of the current economic downturn.
	On 6 April we launched a significant package of help for jobseekers, including those with lower level skills, who find themselves out of work for six months or more. Most people are still leaving benefit quickly75 per cent. of people move off jobseeker's allowance within six months. For those who do not, an enhanced offer is now available which includes:
	Personalised support from a Jobcentre Plus adviser who will work with customers to identify the steps appropriate to enable a swift return to work;
	A recruitment subsidy, or golden hello, for employers worth 2,500which is made up of a 1,000 subsidy plus access to up to 1,500 worth of in-work training, dependent on location.
	Support for those who want to become self-employed with advice on creating a business plan and employment credit of 50 per week for up to 16 weeks so that they have financial support during the early days and months of trading;
	Access to 75,000 new work-focussed training opportunities to help customers significantly increase their skills in order to enter work. The training, delivered on a part-time or full-time basis, will allow people to progress to a full qualification whether they are in or out of work;
	Work-focused volunteering placementsto help JSA claimants develop or maintain skills while looking for a job. Third sector partners in England, Scotland and Wales will broker work-focused volunteering opportunities for JSA claimants interested in volunteering.
	The Government has pledged 0.5 billion over two years from April 2009 to fund this programme. We estimate that the package will fund around 500,000 opportunities within the new options over the two years.
	In addition, Government continue to support jobseekers with lower level skills through a range of measures, including the Employability Skills Programme (ESP) in England and Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs).
	ESP enables people to train full time from day one of a jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claim and offers learners basic skills qualifications at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2 alongside an employability award at Entry Level 3 and Level 1.
	LEPs ensure that disadvantaged customers get the preparation and training that enables them to meet employers' needs and expectations. LEPs involve every sector from manufacturing to retail and services. They provide support to get people ready to fill a role and help employers give people a fair chance at a job.

Welfare to Work

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of  (a) jobseeker's allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit have been referred to welfare to work providers and have subsequently been discovered to be deceased in each of the last four years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 31 March 2009
	 : The information is not collated centrally.

Winter Fuel Payments

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of overpayments made by the Winter Fuel Payment Centre in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for variations in levels of overpayment of the winter fuel payment in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments are made to customers aged 60 and over and are based on their personal circumstances in the qualifying week. Any overpayment of winter fuel payment is recoverable if it arose in consequence of a misrepresentation of, or failure to disclose a material fact.
	There are variations in the levels of winter fuel overpayments which have been recorded over the last five years. Of 886,855 winter fuel overpayments in 2007-08 a total of 403,568 related to overpayments from October 2005 to March 2007. This is because the recoveries for this period were recorded on an interim Overpayment Recovery System which were then migrated and brought to account on the Debt Manager System in December 2007 and appear in the figure for 2007-08. Calculation and recovery action was pursued on all cases in accordance with the Overpayments Recovery Guide.
	Information is not available to enable an assessment of the reasons for any variations in levels of winter fuel payments for the period beyond the last five years.

Workstep

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings his Ministers and officials have held with the Royal London Society for the Blind on the impact of changes for blind and partially-sighted employment support projects under the Workstep programme in London.

Jonathan R Shaw: Neither Ministers nor officials have held any meetings with the Royal London Society for the Blind concerning the Workstep programme in London.

Voluntary Work

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements his Department has put in place for jobseekers in Oxfordshire to access work-focused volunteering opportunities as part of their job search.

Tony McNulty: We believe that volunteering alongside looking for work can help to develop useful skills for work and keep jobseekers in touch with the labour market. Provided jobseekers are available for and actively seeking work, they can take part in unlimited volunteering work.
	Jobcentre Plus has over 2,400 partnerships with local third sector organisations across the country. These complement the service Jobcentre Plus offers, providing customers access to additional advice and support. Personal advisers in Oxfordshire have five main websites that they use and share with customers who would benefit from doing voluntary work. They are: Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Volunteers, Smart, Do-it and the Oxfordshire county council website.
	In addition to these existing partnerships, new measures to encourage volunteering as a means of developing skills for work are being introduced as part of the jobseeker's support at six months package from April 2009. Through this package, those who have been unemployed and claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more will have access to a range of support including recruitment subsidies, work-focused training, help to start a new business and access to work-focused volunteering placements delivered through third sector partners.
	Jobseekers who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months and would like to volunteer to maintain or develop their skills for work can discuss with their Jobcentre Plus personal adviser how they can make use of the extra support on offer from April 2009.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airguns: Young People

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the legislation relating to the control and ownership of air rifles, with particular reference to young people, with a view to introducing stricter controls.

Phil Woolas: The Government have no objection to young people using air weapons provided it is done in a safe and responsible way. This is reflected in the law which makes it an offence for someone under 18 to have an air weapon with them unless they are supervised by someone aged 21 or over. Other than that, they may only use an air weapon for target shooting at an approved shooting club or at a miniature shooting gallery; or if they are aged 14 or over and are on private premises with the consent of the occupier.
	The Government have the deepest sympathy for the family and friends of those who are killed by air weapons. Such tragic incidents are rare but we keep the law under review in case the controls on usage need to be tightened further.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10 years, (ii) 10 to 13 years, (iii) 14 to 17 years and (iv) 18 years and over were (A) arrested, (B) cautioned and (C) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in (1) each region and (2) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over were convicted for alcohol-related offences in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The number of males and females cautioned, proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for alcohol-related offences, by age group (the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10) and Government office region (GOR), from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in tables 1 and 2 respectively, which have been placed in the Library.
	The number of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for alcohol-related offences from 2004 to 2007 by GOR, age group (data are available for persons aged 16 and over) and sex are given in table 3, which has been placed in the Library.
	The PND scheme was implemented in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales in 2004.
	Data collected centrally at police force area level are not available by parliamentary constituency area.
	The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
	It is not possible to identify the individual circumstances of offences (such as whether they were alcohol related) from the data on arrests reported to the Home Office.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been convicted of alcohol-related offences in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The number of men and women found guilty at all courts for alcohol-related offences, by age group (the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10) and Government office region (GOR), from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in tables 1 and 2 respectively, which have been placed in the Library.
	Data relating to those persons cautioned and proceeded against using the same conditions, have also been included as part of tables 1 and 2.
	Data relating to the number of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for alcohol-related offences from 2004 to 2007 by GOR, age group (data are available for persons aged 16 and over) and sex are given in table 3, which has been placed in the Library. The PND scheme was implemented in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales in 2004.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the link between alcohol misuse and crime; what steps her Department is taking to tackle alcohol-related crime; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government have made a number of such assessments. The main one is the British Crime Survey (BCS), a report into 'The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: An Evaluation (2008) by Hough et al' as well as 'Violent Crime, Disorder and Criminal Damage Since the Introduction of the Licensing Act (2007) Babb et al'.
	In addition to piloting alcohol arrest referral schemes, the Government are taking a number of steps to tackle alcohol-related crime. These include the provisions in the Policing and Crime Bill which will introduce a mandatory code for all alcohol retailers, and will give licensing authorities new powers to clamp down on specific problems in their areas. We have also given 3 million to Crime and Disorder Reduction partnerships (CDRPs) in order to undertake multi-agency enforcement activities on specific alcohol-related problems. We have made available a further 1.5 million to our top 50 priority areas which have the highest levels of alcohol-related crime and disorder and public concern about drunk or rowdy behaviour. This money has been used to tackle under age sales, to confiscate alcohol from under 18's and to run communications campaigns to tell local people what action is being taken in their area. We have also just finished the series of 13 alcohol training enforcement workshops for front-line practitioners.

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of  (a) the conditions in which monkeys are held at Nafovanny, Long Thanh, Vietnam and  (b) the appropriateness of allowing the importation of monkeys from that facility under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Shahid Malik: In July 2008, a review of the Nafovanny Centre against the published qualifying criteria confirmed the centre as category A (no issues or only minor issues noted). Nafovanny's suitability was reviewed again in February 2009 in the light of a recent campaign report, in which allegations were made about the use and condition of some small cages. As a result, the centre remains acceptable as a source of non-human primates, but has been reassigned as category B (issues identified that require further monitoring by the Inspectorate and/or action by the breeding centre). Accordingly, a visit by the Home Office Inspectorate to Nafovanny has been arranged and is scheduled to be completed before the end of May 2009. Since the date of the last assessment there have been no requests from users to acquire animals from Nafovanny.

Ashford Borough Council

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants her Department has made to Ashford borough council in each year since 2005-06; what sums were awarded; under what budget category each grant was made; and how much was allocated for grants in 2009-10.

Phil Woolas: The Department has not made any grant payments directly to Ashford borough council, and there are no plans to do so.
	However, Ashford BC may have benefited indirectly under the Department's funding of Kent county council for the following grant streams:
	Basic Command Unit Fund
	Area Based Grants
	Drug Intervention Programme
	Safer Stronger Communities Fund

Association of Chief Police Officers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in each year since 2000; for what purpose; what restrictions apply to the use of the money; what discussions she has had since January 2008 with the President of ACPO; and if she will make a statement.  [Official Report, 21 July 2009, Vol. 496, c. 7MC.]

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has provided funding for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) since 1997.
	In addition to an annual grant in aid payment, the Home Office has made regular payments to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to fund a number of specific projects or in support of initiatives that are best delivered by those with professional police experience. All the grants are prescribed only for the project or use specified. From the information currently held by the Department, the payments made to ACPO since 2006-07 have been listed as an annex to this response.
	The Home Secretary and I meet Sir Ken Jones, the current President of ACPO, regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the projects in which ACPO are involved. This is in addition to frequent telephone conversations and joint attendance at conferences and events. Formal notes of these meetings are not available to place in the House Library.
	
		
			  Home Office payments to ACPO 
			   Financial year  
			  Project  2006-07 ()  2007-08 ()  2008-09 ()  Detail( 1) 
			 Grant Aid 836,232 836,232 836,232 To meet the costs of the ACPO president and part of the ACPO office costs 
			  
			 ACIST 2,988,115   To fund the ACPO Change and Implementation Support Team 
			  
			 Criminal Records project 110,000 110,000 110,000 UK Central Authority for exchange of criminal records 
			  
			 Operation Sycamore 700,000   Investigation into prostitution project 
			  
			 Community Tensions project 60,000 60,000 82,172 To fund the ACPO National Community Tensions Team 
			  
			 Domestic Extremism project 2,000,000, 2,000,000, 2,000,000, To fund the ACPO Domestic Extremism Team 
			  
			 Disaster Victims Identification 253,128 314,296 216,060 To fund the ACPO UK DIVI Management Team 
			  
			 Stockwell project  230,000  Learning lessons of the Stockwell incident 
			  
			 Drugs Conference   10,000 Contribution to ACPO conference 
			 Cannabis cultivation   40,000 Funding part of the costs of a co-ordinator 
			  
			 Wildlife crime 15,367 15,367 150,000 Funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit 
			  
			 Vehicle Intelligence   100,000 Funding for ACPO Vehicle Intelligence Service 
			  
			 Car Parking 200,000 185,000 130,000 Funding for ACPO Safer Car parking Scheme 
			  
			 Co-ordination of Counter-Terrorism policing  5,300,664 4,000,000 Funds the national co-ordination functions: the National Coordinator of Special Branch, media liaison work, CT training needs analysis and the police contribution to the Border Management programme. 
			  
			 Prevent  355,586 1,159,500 Prevent Channel project 
			  
			 Prevent   4,705,810 Prevent policing 
			  
			 Protective Services  60,600 189,400 Co-ordination costs 
			  
			 Level 2  2,000,000  Level 2 project 
			  
			 Operation Overt  268,581  PNICC work on the air terrorist action 
			  
			 RIUs 8,000,000 8,000,000  Setting up regional intelligence units 
			  
			 Policing the Olympics   220,000 Co-ordinating work 
			  
			 Prisoner Intelligence Network 948,665 3,841,899 4,598,961 Support funding for programme 
			  
			 AVCIS (ACPO vehicle crime intelligence service)  420,000  Organised vehicle crime investigation 
			  
			 AVCISTruckPol  50,000  Freight crime intelligence service 
			  
			 ACPO Drugs CBA 10,000 10,000  Contribution to ACPO organised drugs conference 
			  
			 Operation Cube (ACRO) 450,000 0 0 DNA analysis 
			  
			 Operation Element (National Community Tension Team)  200,000 170,000 NCTTOperation Element (2007-08 funding) 
			  
			 Knife Crime 0 0 81,250 Knife Crime 100,000 funding approximately agreed for 8 months (mid-September 2008 to mid-May 2009) 
			  
			 Domestic violence posters 0 0 4,690 Domestic violence awareness campaign. Grant agreement signedfunding awaited 
			  
			 Total 14,571,507 22,258,225 16,804,075  
			 (1) Funding allocated for these purposes only.

Asylum

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate plans to resolve in each quarter of  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011.

Phil Woolas: We have ramped up performance in dealing with the asylum legacy cases and are now resolving several thousand every month, however, we have not set quarterly targets because the mix of case types means that some will take very little time to resolve while others will take longer. We are confident that we will be able to conclude the cases by summer 2011, and are on track to do so.

Asylum

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unresolved cases the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate has identified that were not taken into account in setting its initial target for resolution in each quarter since it was established.

Phil Woolas: The then Home Secretary made clear when he announced the programme of work in July 2006 that the case-load of legacy asylum cases was estimated to be around 400,000 to 450,000 cases. This remains the estimate. We continue to be on track to complete all those categorised as older legacy cases by the summer of 2011. Up to 9 January 2009 we had concluded 155,500 cases.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been waiting more than six months for a final decision on their claim; and how many of these applicants have dependants aged over 16 years.

Phil Woolas: An asylum seeker may make further representations at any stage in the application process which may, in certain circumstances, be treated as a fresh asylum application.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency's asylum targets are based on case conclusion times and the agency is on target to fully conclude 90 per cent. of new asylum applications within six months by 2011.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been waiting more than 12 months for an initial decision on their claim; and how many of these applicants have dependants aged over 16 years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested in this question could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by undertaking an examination of individual case records.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency's asylum targets are based on case conclusion times and the agency is on target to fully conclude 90 per cent. of new asylum applications within six months by 2011.

Asylum

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who waited more than 12 months for an initial decision on their claim are now at the appeal stage; and how many of these applicants have dependants aged over 16 years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested in this question could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by undertaking an examination of individual case records.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency's asylum targets are based on case conclusion times and the agency is on target to fully conclude 90 per cent. of new asylum applications within six months by 2011.

Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many files under the asylum legacy cases programme have been archived because the individual could not be traced within six months.

Phil Woolas: The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has undertaken to update the Home Affairs Committee every six months on progress within the Case Resolution Directorate. She confirmed in her last update, on 8 December 2008, that the legacy cohort contains cases that the agency struggles to trace, including those where the applicant has died or left the country voluntarily. The agency makes every effort to trace such cases, checking a number of internal and external databases. If such tracing fails, the case is placed into a controlled archive. As of the end of November 2008 we reported that there were 1,850 cases in the controlled archive older than six months. This figure will be updated in the next letter to the Home Affairs Committee in the summer.

Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Asylum Application Registration Cards were issued in  (a) 2008 and  (b) each month of 2009.

Phil Woolas: The number of Asylum Application Registration Cards issued was: 26,022 in 2008; and 7,233 in the first 13 weeks of 2009. The information is not collated on a monthly basis. These figures are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from management information which is provisional and subject to change.

Asylum: Children

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take in response to the recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that the UK should provide disaggregated statistical data on the number of children seeking asylum; and when she plans to take those steps.

Phil Woolas: Statistics on numbers of children seeking asylum are published on an annual basis in the Asylum Statistics United Kingdom bulletin.
	Information on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions broken down by age and the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children is available in this publication. Information on the number of persons held in detention solely under immigration Act powers for those recorded as being under the age of 18 as at the last Saturday of the quarter are also available from the Control of Immigration Quarterly statistical bulletin.
	These publications are available in the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Binyam Mohamed

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Binyam Mohamed applied for asylum on his arrival to the UK on 23 February 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: It is the policy of successive Governments not to discuss the immigration status of individuals. However, as with any foreign national, consideration will be given as to whether their presence in the United Kingdom is conducive to the public good and, as always, all appropriate steps will be taken to protect national security.

Biometrics

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many IRIS pilot schemes were operational on 28 February 2009.

Phil Woolas: The IRIS scheme was operational at 10 locations on 28 February 2009.

Borders: Personal records

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the e-Borders system will apply to the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Phil Woolas: The e-Borders system will not apply to the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
	We will continue to work closely with the Republic of Ireland to tackle the major issues that face us today, from trafficking and terrorism to illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
	The UK Border Agency, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau work collaboratively and run regular intelligence led operations to counter potential risks to the intra Common Travel Area (CTA) borders. These joint operations have successfully prevented foreign nationals attempting to cross the boundary illegally in both directions.

Borders: Personal records

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to launch a consultation on the introduction of an authority to carry scheme.

Phil Woolas: The Government have committed to a full consultation period on the introduction of an authority to carry scheme. This consultation period will be launched in due course following the completion of on-going development work and initial discussions with stakeholders.

Borders: Personal records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to launch her Department's consultation on authority to carry under the e-Borders scheme.

Phil Woolas: The Government have committed to a full consultation period on the introduction of an authority to carry scheme. This consultation period will be launched in due course following the completion of ongoing development work and initial discussions with stakeholders
	The introduction of an authority to carry scheme will only be brought forward for parliamentary approval, once the full 12-week consultation period with all stakeholders has taken place.

Borders: Personal records

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent meetings her Department has had with coach operators on the effect of the e-Borders scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The e-Borders Programme has engaged directly with several of the large coach operators involved in international coach travel. We recognise that their inclusion in the solution and the development of operational models, will support a more efficient implementation of e-Borders.
	The programme is in regular contact with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the industry trade association, and articles on e-Borders have appeared in their journal, Route One. The programme has also delivered presentations on e-Borders to the 2007 and 2008 coaching conferences.
	Furthermore, e-Borders was represented at the 2008 Eurobus Expo at the NEC.

British Nationality

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizenship ceremonies have been conducted in each region in England in the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The available data regarding persons attending a British citizenship ceremony for 2005, 2006 and 2007 by English Government region are given in the following table. Data for 2008 are scheduled for publication in May 2009.
	Statistics on persons attending a British citizenship ceremony by region of the United Kingdom and authority are published in table 8 of the Home Office statistical bulletin Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom. This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Persons attending a British citizenship ceremony by English  G overnment office region, 2005 - 07 
			   Ceremony  a ttended( 1, 2) 
			  English  G overnment office region  2005  2006  2007( 3) 
			 North East 1,310 1,420 1,705 
			 North West 6,120 6,345 6,770 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,630 4,790 4,850 
			 East Midlands 4,635 4,625 4,925 
			 West Midlands 7,030 7,775 7,595 
			 East of England 7,000 6,715 7,975 
			 South East 12,030 12,145 14,640 
			 South West 2,985 2,810 3,875 
			 Greater London 63,045 56,995 61,690 
			 Total (England) 108,780 103,615 114,025 
			 (1 )A ceremony organised by county or local authorities for successful applicants over 18 years of age as the final stage in the process of attaining British citizenship. (2) Data are rounded to the nearest five so may not sum to the totals. (3) Provisional data.

Cannabis

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of cannabis seizures in each of the last 10 years was analysed by the Forensic Science Service.

Jacqui Smith: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) Ltd. is only one of a number of commercial forensic suppliers involved in cannabis testing. By no means all cannabis seizures are forensically tested. The Home Office publishes annual figures for the volume of cannabis seizures in the annual National Statistics bulletin Drug Seizures England and Wales. The latest one covering 2006-07 was published on-line at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1208.pdf
	the 2007-08 edition will be published on 7 May. The Home Office does not collect figures on the percentage of seizures analysed by individual suppliers. However, as the FSS is the largest forensic supplier, it is likely that it tests around two thirds of the total seizures referred for forensic analysis.

Cannabis

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of cannabis seizures by  (a) number and  (b) weight or volume analysed by the Forensic Science Service contained significant quantities of cannabidiol in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: Cannabis seizures made by law enforcement agencies are usually submitted to the Forensic Science Service (FSS) Ltd. to provide only a confirmed identification and weight. Only a small proportion of cannabis seizures are further examined to determine the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, as a result of a customer request; customer requests for cannabidiol content are extremely unusual.
	The table sets out the number of records and total weight of herbal cannabis and cannabis resin examined in the last 10 years by FSS.
	Data derived from the Home Office Cannabis Potency Study 2008, show that when measured, the cannabidiol content of herbal cannabis has consistently been found to be less than 0.1 per cent. The cannabidiol content of cannabis resin varied between 0.1 to 7.3 per cent., with a mean content of 3.5 per cent. In today's market, seizures of cannabis resin are comparatively rare compared to herbal cannabis.
	
		
			Herbal Cannabis  Cannabis Resin  Plant( 1) 
			 1999 Number of records(2) 4,499 5,433  
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 1,525.8 6,732.5  
			  
			 2000 Number of records 5,904 6,572  
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 972.9 6,618.6  
			  
			 2001 Number of records 6,429 5,591  
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 1,414.1 3,296.5  
			  
			 2002 Number of records 11,687 9,346 357 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 2,278.4 5,126.5  
			  
			 2003 Number of records 11,139 7,100 1,410 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 3,261.3 6,954.3  
			  
			 2004 Number of records 9,306 5,202 1,365 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 1,267.2 3,638.2  
			  
			 2005 Number of records 9,899 4,463 2,927 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 4,118.3 4,281.8  
			  
			 2006 Number of records 9,309 3,285 3,858 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 1,568 3,576.6  
			  
			 2007 Number of records 10,250 2,459 5,466 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 2,989 1,075.9  
			  
			 2008 Number of records 11,916 3,238 6,235 
			  Total weight submitted (kg) 2,659.8 11,615.9  
			 (1 )Prior to quarter three 2003 cannabis plants were mainly recorded as herbal cannabis. (2 )A record approximately equates to an individual item or exhibit. A seizure of cannabis or cannabis resin made by a law enforcement agency can consist of one item, a few items, several items or occasionally more.

Cannabis

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of cannabis seizures by  (a) number and  (b) weight or volume analysed by the Forensic Science Service had a tetrahydrocannabinol content of (a) less than three per cent., (b) four to six per cent., (c) seven to 10 per cent. and (d) 11 per cent. and over in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The Forensic Science Service (FSS) Ltd has provided data in the following table. Only data from 2001 are readily available. The company reports that it is asked to test for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content only in a small proportion of the seizures referred to them for analysis.
	Data on average THC levels of cannabis have previously been published in the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' Reviews of Cannabis up to the year 2007. Data for 2008 can be found in the Home Office Cannabis Potency Study 2008, published by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch, using test data prepared by the FSS. Another source of reference for 2005 is D. J. Potter, P. Clark and Marc B. Brown, Potency of D9- THC and other Cannabinoids in Cannabis in England in 2005: Implications for Psychoactivity and Pharmocology, J. Forensic Sci., 53(1), 90-94, 2008.
	
		
			  Cannabis 
			THC range( 1) 
			  Seizure year( 2)  Data  =3 per cent.  4-6 per cent.  7-10 per cent.  10 per cent.  Total per cent. 
			 2001 Number of samples 2 11 13 19 45 
			 2002 Number of samples 13 14 19 37 83 
			 2003 Number of samples 22 21 33 88 164 
			 2004 Number of samples 12 13 25 113 163 
			 2005 Number of samples 10 8 33 178 229 
			 2006 Number of samples 9 36 94 176 315 
			 2007 Number of samples 21 71 120 137 349 
			 2008 Number of samples 15 39 70 203 327 
			 2009 Number of samples 1 3 11 34 49 
			 (1) THC = tetrahydrocannabinol (2) Data before 2001 are not readily available

Civil Servants: Incentives

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: For senior civil servants (the SCS) non-consolidated performance payments for 2008-09 have not been awarded yet as we are awaiting the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body, the independent body which makes recommendations to the Government about SCS pay.
	Under the current Home Office pay arrangements, up to 35 per cent. of staff below the SCS may receive non-consolidated performance payments for 2008-09 at a cost of up to 3 million: but these payments have not yet been determined. Non-consolidated performance payments are made to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution throughout the year.
	There is also a scheme for awarding one-off non-consolidated special payments during the year. Up to 0.3 per cent. of the pay bill is allocated for this purpose. Special payments can be awarded for exceptional achievements by staff in particularly demanding tasks or situations at any time of the year.
	All such non-consolidated performance-related payments are funded within existing pay bill controls, have to be re-earned each year against predetermined performance standards and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.

Closed Circuit Television

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) financial and  (b) other assistance her Department provides to local authorities for the installation of town centre closed circuit television security systems for the purposes of crime reduction and detection.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 Since the end of the Home Office initiative under the Crime Reduction Programme in 2003, no further funding has specifically been provided for the installation of town centre CCTV security systems by the Home Office.
	Although no new specific CCTV funding has been introduced, funding streams such as the building safer communities fund are available to local authorities through crime and disorder reduction partnerships to allow them to tackle their local crime priorities using a number of interventions, including CCTV.

Community Relations: Internet

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which companies providing internet filtering products her Department has worked with to strengthen protection against online material which promotes violent extremism; and what the outcome has been of such work.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office is working with a range of companies that provide filtering and/or parental control software which offer products that allow users such as parents and schools to voluntarily restrict access to certain categories of material that may be harmful or offensive. Our engagement with the filtering industry is an ongoing process and I do not propose to provide a list of those we have worked with to date. Some companies, such as Smoothwall, have chosen to announce their participation in this work.
	These companies are now able to receive from the Home Office details of material which we consider to be unlawful under the Terrorism Act 2006 in order to enhance the protection their products offer against terrorist material.
	These products offer end-users a tool to make the internet a safer place for children and young people.

Convictions

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) burglaries,  (b) thefts,  (c) robberies and  (d) assaults (i) were reported and (ii) resulted in a conviction in England and Wales in the last two years for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 March 2009
	 Information is not available in the form requested.

Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason she decided to cease future funding to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; what discussions she had on the matter with representatives of the National Policing Improvement Authority; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The original ministerial announcement of funding to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) in 1999 was expressly subject to the CRFP's performance, particularly the condition that it became self-financing through registrant's fees and there should not be a long-term reliance on grant.
	By the time CRFP closed, this goal of a self-funding independent accreditation body had not been achieved and the company was facing a long-term shortfall of funding, because the registration income did not match the expenditureand would not have matched it, irrespective of whether the Government grant had been continued or not. This was likely to become considerably worse because of the withdrawal of support for the registration process by police forces.
	The grant was latterly provided by the National Policing Improvement Agency, who last year jointly commissioned with the CRFP an independent analysis of CRFP's finances. Following this, the CRFP's financial situation, as detailed above, was clear and further commitment of public money to CRFP would have amounted to a long-term commitment to funding the company without full public control, which would not have been a justifiable or sustainable approach. I, and ministerial colleagues, were kept fully briefed on this issue throughout.

Fear of Crime

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by police forces to reduce the fear of crime and to increase public confidence in their personal security in public places.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Policing Green Paper: From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing Our Communities Together which sets out the Government's expectation that there will be a significant improvement in public confidence over the next three years.

Crime Prevention

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice her Department's online secure home scorecard tool offers in respect of each score achieved.

Alan Campbell: The online scorecard has been designed so that each person who uses the tool will receive a number of suggestions on how to improve their home security, targeted specifically to any potential weaknesses in their current home security arrangements, as identified from their answers.

Crime Prevention

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the installation of closed circuit television cameras in combating crime; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: CCTV is a powerful crime fighting tool. Police operational experience and various research studies show that it deters and detects crime and helps secure convictions. It can also reduce fear of crime. CCTV works best as part of a package of measures to deal with specific events and crime problems.
	A recent review of existing research was undertaken by the Campbell Collaboration, which was part funded by the National Policing Improvement Agency. The review found that CCTV has a modest but significant desirable effect on crime, is most effective in reducing crime in car parks, when targeted at vehicle crimes, and is more effective in reducing crime in the United Kingdom than in other countries. The main points of the review will be summarised and made available to police forces by the summer.

Crime Prevention: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to protect businesses in Coventry from criminal activities.

Phil Woolas: Coventry was allocated 335,669 from the Police Basic Command Unit Fund by the Home Office in 2008-09 to deliver crime and disorder reduction, promote partnership working, and to assist in the delivery of the objectives set out in the Government's Public Service Agreements for 2008-11.
	This funding has helped to fund two Business Improvement Districts in Coventry which work closely with Coventry's Community Safety Partnership with the aim of both improving relationships with business partners and also the response they receive in relation to tackling crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour. For example, deploying a business crime co-ordinator and working with businesses on prevention, education and target hardening advice/measures.

Crime Prevention: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to protect  (a) domestic properties and  (b) families in Coventry from criminal activities.

Phil Woolas: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Home Secretary recently announced a 15 million initiative to tackle burglary in domestic properties. This comprises: a national, regional and local media campaign providing crime prevention advice; specific advice on securing your home including a web-based toolkit; a safer homes fund to target measures designed to increase home security for the most vulnerable groups in society; increasing the pressure on prolific offenders; an on-line and leaflet version of home security assessment; and burglary advice packs including discount vouchers for DIY stores on home security products.
	 (b) Coventry has received Government funding for a number of specific projects that will protect both the community and families; for example, an initiative under the Think Family banner to promote early intervention that will prevent or reduce the circumstances that may lead to criminal or antisocial behaviour in families, and a Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre. Coventry is also part of several national schemes, which will help protect families from crime: it has been designated as an Alcohol Priority area; it is part of the Tackling Knives Action Programme, which includes actions such as safety arches being used at schools and additional police patrols during home time; it is part of the tackling violent crime programme; and it has also been successful in its bid for Youth Crime Action Plan funding for the next two financial years.

Crime: Maps

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the delivery of local crime mapping.

Alan Campbell: The National Policing Improvement Agency is working towards the provision of a national crime map for England and Wales for the delivery to the public by the end of 2009. This will support and link the current 43 individual crime maps provided by forces since the end of December 2008.

Departmental Absenteeism

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of her Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate she has made of the (i) cost to her Department and (ii) number of working hours lost due to such absence; and what guidance her Department issued to staff in respect of absence on these days.

Phil Woolas: The disruption caused by the extreme weather conditions on 2 and 3 February this year caused severe difficulty for many Home Office staff travelling to and from work.
	As a result guidance was provided to line managers to remind them that they should consider sympathetically circumstances where staff were unable to report for work or have had to leave early due to severe travel disruption. This guidance reflected existing departmental arrangements on travel disruptions set out in the Staff Handbook. These arrangements provide for situations where staff experience unavoidable travel delays due to travel disruption or other exceptional circumstances which may mean they are either late for work or are unable to attend work. In these circumstances those staff that use the departmental flexi time system may be given a credit to compensate for travel delays. Depending on circumstances, other staff might not be required to make up time lost.
	It was left to managers to decide locally whether the provisions allowed for in the Staff Handbook should be applied in individual cases. Records of the number of staff who were not able to attend work on 2 and 3 February as a result of the disruption to the transport system were not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For the same reason it is also not possible to provide an estimate of the cost to the Department or the total number of working hours that were lost.

Departmental Buildings

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what buildings are owned or operated by her Department under a private finance initiative (PFI) arrangement; and which companies are involved with each such PFI arrangement.

Phil Woolas: 2 Marsham Street London SW1 is operated under a private finance initiative contract with Anne's Gate Property plc. The Department has no other PFI building contracts.

Departmental Consultants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on consultants by  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in 2007-08, broken down by consultancy.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office's expenditure on consultancy (including that of its Executive agencies) in the year 2007-08 was 95.6 million. This represents 7 per cent. of overall Home Office expenditure on third party goods and services. It is also 36 per cent. less than in 2006-07, reflecting a desire to reduce consultancy expenditure. The expenditure by Home Office NDPBs on consultancy in 2007-08 is tabled as follows:
	
		
			
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission 243,848 
			 National Policing Improvement Agency 71,400,000 
			 Security Industry Agency 81,967 
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency 1,615,000 
		
	
	It is not possible to give a detailed breakdown by consultancy, but the majority of this expenditure is on major programmes (e.g. eBorders, national identity scheme) where most of the work is contracted out to specialist contractors.

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: No member of staff has been investigated, suspended or dismissed for losing memory sticks, laptop computers, desktop computers and mobile telephones in the last three years. Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally and to provide such information would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Phil Woolas: Identity and Passport Services are the only part of the Home Office that uses wireless functionality on their networks. IPS utilises the WPA2 protocol to protect this wireless network.

Departmental Data Protection

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to ensure the security of personal data held by her Department.

Phil Woolas: Good progress is being made on implementing the mandatory minimum measures set out in the data handling procedures in Government Report published in 2008 (a copy of which is in the House Library) following the review undertaken by Robert Hannigan. These and other mechanisms are being applied across the Home Office to reduce the risks to the security of personal and other sensitive information. These include:
	Establishing a board-level senior information risk owner for the Home Office, and counterparts in each of our agencies and non-departmental public bodies;
	Establishing an information assurance risk assessment and management process;
	Creating a register of all information assets, identifying owners for all those assets and training those owners in managing information handling risks;
	Carrying out training and raising awareness amongst all staff;
	Setting up a bureau to allow any restricted or personal data that need to be sent, or received from, beyond the secure network to be encrypted;
	Restricting the ability to write data to removable media to those that have a business need to do so;
	Replacing existing USB sticks with encrypted ones, where they are required; and
	Obtaining assurances from delivery partners that they will handle our data in line with the Hannigan requirements.

Departmental Detergents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by her Department have been tested on animals.

Phil Woolas: My Department inclusive of its agencies does not generally contract directly for cleaning services, but procures them through wider Facilities Management (FM) or operational service contractors. Typically contracts between my Department and FM suppliers stipulate that the suppliers should consider environmentally preferable products and materials. Our key suppliers have confirmed that their policy is only to use cleaning products or ingredients tested on animals if required to meet legal requirements.
	National and international regulatory bodies require that products, ingredients and chemicals are tested to ensure that they are not a danger to children, adults, household pets and the environment. Until reliable alternatives are developed, this means that procedures have to be performed using animals.

Departmental Empty Property

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the change in the cost to her Department of maintaining empty public buildings leased by it as a result of the changes to empty property rate relief that came into effect in April 2008.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office including its Executive Agencies made budgetary provision in the financial year 2008-09 for an additional 65,377 as a result of the changes to empty rates relief that came into effect on 1 April 2008.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel was used by (i) her Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: Central Government Departments and their executive agencies are required to report performance data on their energy consumption for their office estate annually as part of the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) reporting process, to assess performance against the target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from offices by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11 against a 1999-2000 baseline.
	The Department does not hold comprehensive information on how much electricity, gas and other fuel was used across the whole Home Office estate and its agencies for the last 10 years.
	The latest assessment of Government's performance against these targets was published by the Sustainable Development Commission on 12 December 2008:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2008/

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of freedom of information requests received by her Department gave rise to responses that were published by her Department in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly statistics on the number of FOI requests received by central Government Departments, the most recent of which relate to the third quarter (July to September) of 2008. The statistics show that during the period April to September 2008, the Home Office received 1,019 requests, of which 394 resulted in a full or partial release of information.
	82 (8 per cent. of the number of requests received) of these responses have been published in the Freedom of Information disclosure log on the Department's website.

Departmental Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed in her Department's departmental security unit.

Phil Woolas: At the end of February 2009 there were 53.82 headcount full-time equivalent permanent paid civil servants working in the Home Office departmental security unit.

Departmental Marketing

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department allocated for publicity and promotional purposes in its budget for 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office allocated 13,183,000 for the financial year 2008-09. This was allocated to a range of public facing activity which includes advertising, public relations, events, leaflets and supporting literature. This figure excludes executive agency and NDPB expenditure, VAT, supplier fees, and recruitment advertising.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, how much was paid to  (a) the Labour party,  (b) Biometrix,  (c) Information Risk Management plc,  (d) Good Relations Ltd. and  (e) Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go in 2007-08; and for what purpose in each case.

Phil Woolas: Based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payments made to  (a) the Labour party,  (b) Biometix  (c) Information Risk Management plc,  (d) Good Relations Ltd. and  (e) Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Supplier/organisation  Date  Description of purchase  Value () 
			 The Labour party 25 October 2007 Provision of Security at Annual Labour Conference 2006. This was a further payment in relation to costs that had not been submitted at the time of the initial conference 11,748.73 
			 
			 The Labour party 25 October 2007 Provision of security at Annual Labour Conference 2007 1,267,359.00 
		
	
	In accordance with section 170 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, the Home Office reimburses security costs incurred by political parties provided that this is accompanied by a letter from the Chief Officer of Police for the host area confirming that the security measures are justified.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Supplier/organisation  Date  Description of purchase  Value () 
			 Biometix 25 March 2008 Tool for analyzing Biometric data. Performix PC Desktop Licence with 12 months support 4,990.00 
			 
			 Information Risk Management plc 26 March 2008 To conduct an IT Healthcheck on security of Criminal Justice Xhibit portal. This involved internal and external penetration tests to assess vulnerability 14,080.00 
			 
			 Good Relations Ltd. 13 April 2007 Provision of weekly news summaries to the Office of Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) and Criminal Justice Technology (CJIT), now MOJ 46,978.00 
			 
			 Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go 18 June 2007 Working lunch 137.29 
			 
			 Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go 25 June 2007 Working lunch for external Swedish visitors attending meeting 77.87 
			 
			 Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go 23 July 2007 Working lunch for PSA/APACS event paid for by Police and Crime Standards Directorate (PCSD) 164.75 
			 
			 Marks and Spencer Lunch to Go 7 August 2008 Working lunch 331.20

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been any nugatory cost to her Department and its agencies relating to tendered procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: In the last three years the Home Department and its Executive agencies have not incurred any nugatory bid costs from suppliers where tender processes have been cancelled prior to the award of contract.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by her Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: As announced in the pre-Budget report on 24 November, 20 million of capital expenditure has been brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 to improve the estates of the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the National Police Improvement Agency, developing and installing high technology systems and enhancing intelligence gathering against serious organised crime.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her latest estimate is of her Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: As published in the Pre-Budget report on 24 November 2008, the Home Office capital budget in 2008-9 is 0.9 billion, in 2009-10 0.8 billion, and in 2010-11 0.8 billion. The Government have not set Departments' Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (Public Sector Net Investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and Pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to tables 52 and 53 in her Department's Annual Report 2008, under what budgetary headings expenditure under the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget for the (i) National Policing Improvement Agency, (ii) Serious Organised Crime Agency, (iii) Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, (iv) Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, (v) UK Border Agency, (vi) Identity and Passport Service, (vii) Central Services and (viii) Research and Statistics Directorate has been incurred in 2008-09.

Jacqui Smith: The following tables set out the programmes which have incurred expenditure for the requested areas of work.
	Budgetary headings are assumed to be the programme objects, sub-programmes and account descriptions as defined by HM Treasury, which inform HM Treasury financial management and reporting processes.
	
		
			HM Treasury account description (resource) 
			  Business  Sub-Programmes  Wages and Salaries  Purchases and sales of goods/services  Grants to local authorities  Grants to private sector  EU grant income  Depreciation, cost of capital and provisions 
			 NPIA NPIA Yes YesYes 
			 SOCA SOCA Yes YesYes 
			 OSCT Counter-Terrorism Yes Yes Yes Yes  Yes 
			 OSCT Other OSCT   Yes
			 OISC OISC Yes Yes 
			 UKBA Core UKBA Yes Yes Yes Yes  Yes 
			 UKBA European refugee fundYes Yes  
			 IPS IPS Yes YesYes 
			 Central services Central services Yes YesYes 
			 Research and Statistics Research and Statistics Yes YesYes 
		
	
	
		
			HM Treasury account description (capital) 
			  Business  Sub-programmes  Capital expenditure net of sales  Capital support to local authorities  Capital grants to private Sector and overseas 
			 NPIA NPIA Yes   
			 SOCA SOCA Yes   
			 OSCT Counter-Terrorism Yes Yes Yes 
			 OSCT Other OSCT
			 UKBA Core UKBA Yes   
			 IPS IPS Yes   
			 Central services Central services Yes   
			 Research and Statistics Research and Statistics Yes

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to tables 5.2 and 5.3 in her Department's Annual Report 2008, under what budget headings  (a) resource and  (b) capital expenditure allocated for (i) drugs, (ii) the Independent Safeguarding Authority for Crime and (iii) crime reduction has been incurred in 2008-09.

Jacqui Smith: The tables set out the programmes which have incurred expenditure for the requested areas of work.
	Budgetary headings are assumed to be the programme objects, sub-programmes and account descriptions as defined by HM Treasury, which inform HM Treasury financial management and reporting processes.
	
		
			HM Treasury account description (resource) 
			  Business  Sub-programmes  Wages and salaries  Purchases and sales of goods/services  Grants to local authorities  Grants to private sector  Area Based Grant 
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Crime Reduction Yes Yes Yes Yes  
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Crime ReductionABG Yes 
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Drugs Yes Yes Yes Yes  
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Unit Yes Yes
			 ISA ISA Yes Yes
		
	
	
		
			HM Treasury account description (capital) 
			  Business  Sub-programmes  Capital expenditure net of sales  Capital support to local authorities  Capital grants to private sector and overseas 
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Crime Reduction Yes Yes Yes 
			 Crime Reduction and Drugs Drugs  Yes

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to tables 5.2 and 5.3 in her Department's Annual Report 2008, under what budgetary headings expenditure under the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget for the Independent Police Complaints Commission has been incurred in 2008-09.

Jacqui Smith: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has incurred expenditure under the following budget headings:
	Wages and salaries
	Purchases and sales of goods and services
	Depreciation, cost of capital and provisions
	Capital additions, net of sales
	Budgetary headings are assumed to be the programme objects, sub-programmes and account descriptions as defined by HM Treasury, which inform HM Treasury financial management and reporting processes.

Departmental Stationery

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) branded and  (b) non-branded stationery in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: From best available information, the total expenditure in FY 2008-09 by the Home Department for both  (a) branded stationery and  (b) non-branded stationery was 3,011,000.
	To separate stationery expenditure between  (a) branded and  (b) non-branded items would involve manually reprocessing source records and could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2243W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in her Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Phil Woolas: Ministers in the Home Office have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
	Induction workshop
	Departmental leadership development
	Media training

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in her Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisations provided such training.

Phil Woolas: Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Written Questions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 303W, on Departmental written questions, which are the nine questions referred to in the table as over 15 days late; what the reasons are for the time taken to respond in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The unique identification numbers (UIN) in respect of the nine questions referred to in my answer of 24 March are as follows:
	248332
	249216
	241568
	245482
	245483
	251937
	244798
	251292
	240954

Deportation: Children

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child asylum seekers were removed from the UK in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of child asylum seekers, including dependants, removed or voluntarily departed from the UK in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Child( 1)  asylum seekers( 2)  removed or voluntarily departed from the United Kingdom( 3) , 2006 - 08 
			  Number of departures( 4) 
			   2006  2007( 5)  2008( 5) 
			 Total child asylum cases 1,645 905 705 
			 (1) Persons recorded as being under 18 on the date of their departure from the UK.  (2) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.  (3) Includes persons departing voluntarily after notifying the UK Border Agency of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.  (4) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken.  (5) Provisional figures.

Deportation: Offenders

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were deported in 2008; and how many of those had been convicted of firearms offences.

Jacqui Smith: In March 2009 the quarterly National Asylum Statistics were published and it reported that there were 5,395 foreign national prisoners who had been removed or deported in 2008. The information on the numbers of those who had previously been convicted of firearms offences, or any other offence types, can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. In order to obtain the full criminal history of such individuals it would be necessary to examine individual case files held by the UK Border Agency and cross-reference that information with police records.

Designated Public Places Orders

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Designated Public Place Orders have been introduced in each year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office has been informed that 707 Designated Public Place Orders (DPPO)s have been implemented throughout England and Wales. This figure is broken down by year as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 3 
			 2002 68 
			 2003 78 
			 2004 109 
			 2005 102 
			 2006 122 
			 2007 120 
			 2008 84 
			 2009 (1)21 
			 (1 )So far. 
		
	
	A full list of the councils which have implemented the orders can be accessed at the following internet link which includes commencement date:
	http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/alcoholorders/alcoholorders09.htm

Detainees: Children

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were held in immigration removal centres in each month during 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is not held centrally and would be available only through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the numbers of children detained within the UK Border Agency detention estate solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis as at the last Saturday of each quarter of 2008, broken down by length of detention (i.e. of those detained on that particular day, the numbers of whom had been detained for the lengths of time specified).
	National Statistics on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. This information is published in Tables 9 to 11 of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Children( 1)  recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers, by length of detention as at the last Saturday of each quarter in 2008( 2, 3) 
			  Number of children( 1) 
			  Length of detention( 4, 5)  29 March  28 June  27 September  27 December 
			 7 days or less 10 15 30 5 
			 8 to 14 days * 5 * 15 
			 15 to 28 days 5 20 20 15 
			 29 days to less than 2 months 15 15 5 5 
			 2 months to less than 3 months 5   * 
			 3 months to less than 4 months 
			 4 months to less than 6 months 
			 6 months to less than 1 year 
			 1 year or more 
			  
			 Total 35 55 55 40 
			 (1) People recorded as being under 18 on the last Saturday of each quarter. These figures will overstate if any applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger.  (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ( = 0, * = 1 or 2), may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells, Prison Service establishments and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers.  (3) Figures include dependants.  (4) Relates to most recent period of sole detention.  (5) 2 months is defined as 61 days; 4 months is defined as 122 days; 6 months is defined as 182 days.

Detainees: Offenders

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many foreign national former prisoners were held in the immigration detention estate on 12 January 2009;
	(2)  how many foreign national prisoners were being held in prisons awaiting deportation on 12 January 2009.

Phil Woolas: The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly written to the Home Affairs Committee in order to provide them with all of the most robust and accurate information available. In her letter of 23 July 2008 she advised the Committee that there were around 1,650 foreign criminals who had completed their sentence and were detained under immigration powers pending deportation action. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House. She also recently advised the Public Accounts Committee during her appearance before them on 5 March that, of those who are detained pending deportation action, around 1,200 are held within the UK Border Agency detention estate.
	The information relating to the numbers of foreign national prisoners subject to deportation action who are either serving their sentence or are being detained under immigration powers in prisons is not centrally held. In order to obtain the information it would be necessary to examine individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Diplomatic Service: Firearms

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2009,  Official Report, column 663W, on the Diplomatic Service: security guards, how many requests to carry firearms whilst in Great Britain were received from each country in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: Detailed records are not kept beyond three years, and for security reasons it would be inappropriate to disclose details of protection requests received and measures provided.

Dispersal Orders

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many authorities in each  (a) London borough and  (b) region have issued dispersal orders in each year since their introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Between January 2004 and 31 March 2006, the police have used the power in section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 to disperse unruly groups in over 1,000 designated areas. Figures are not available broken down by year. Figures for 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008 by police force area are due to be published shortly.

DNA: Databases

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to bring forward proposals for the change in Government policy necessary for the UK to comply with the European Court of Human Rights' decision in the case of S and Marper;
	(2)  when she expects to make a decision on steps to be taken in response to the European Court of Human Rights' decision on the case of S and Marper.

Alan Campbell: I intend to consult on proposals for implementing the judgment as part of a wider Forensics White Paper. This is due to be published before summer 2009.

DNA: Databases

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the data held on the national DNA database relates to DNA samples taken by  (a) police forces in Scotland,  (b) police forces in England and Wales and  (c) the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Alan Campbell: The following table shows the number and proportion of all subject profiles held on the national DNA database (NDNAD) by forces in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland as at 30 March 2009.
	The number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals with a profile on the database. As it is possible for a profile to be loaded on to the NDNAD on more than one occasion, some profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. This can occur, for example, if the person provided different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because profiles are upgraded. The replication rate for the NDNAD is currently estimated at 13.5 per cent. although the rate may vary between forces.
	
		
			  Force  Number of subject profiles  Number of individuals (Estimated)  Proportion of total subject profiles held on NDNAD 
			 England and Wales 5,258,779  93.67 
			 Scotland 259,522  4.62 
			 Northern Ireland 66,967  1.19 
			 Other 29,143  0.52 
			 Total 5,614,411 4,856,466 100

Drugs: Crime

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which drugs fall into Class  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what estimate she has made of the number of users of each drug in each class.

Phil Woolas: A list of the most commonly encountered drugs currently controlled under the misuse of drugs legislation is available on the Home Office website at the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cdlist.pdf?view=Binary
	The latest figures from the British Crime Survey, showing the estimated number of drug users for each drug covered in the survey are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated numbers of 16 to 59-year-olds who have taken drugs ever in their lifetime, in the last year and in the last month 
			  Number (thousand) 2007-08 BCS 
			   Used ever  Used last year  Used last month 
			  Class A
			 Any cocaine 2,441 740 330 
			 Cocaine powder 2,408 734 320 
			 Crack cocaine 276 44 31 
			 Ecstasy 2,394 470 164 
			 Hallucinogens 2,869 198 48 
			 LSD 1,655 88 28 
			 Magic Mushrooms 2,198 156 28 
			 Opiates 263 53 35 
			 Heroin 217 34 24 
			 Methadone 134 41 28 
			 
			  Class A/B
			 Amphetamines 3,741 329 113 
			 
			  Class B/C
			 Tranquillisers 901 147 65 
			 
			  Class C
			 Anabolic steroids 179 17 1 
			 Cannabis 9,637 2,382 1,339 
			 Ketamine 423 113 49 
			  Not classified
			 Amyl Nitrite 2,856 472 193 
			 Glues 718 32 13 
			 
			 Any class A drug 4,469 949 421 
			 Any drug 11,467 2,996 1,701 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are derived by multiplying the prevalence rate by the 2007 population aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales (based on mid-2006 estimates from the Office for National Statistics). 2. It is not possible to add estimated numbers of drug users together for different drug types as users may have taken more than one type of drug.

Entry Clearances

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) short-term and  (b) long-term visa applications that were wrongly approved in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: Visa services deploy a range of indicators and checks concerning the quality of decisions to issue a visa. These include sampling of decisions by Entry Clearance Managers, spot checks on whether applicants have left the UK, refusals of visa holders at ports of entry and monitoring of compliance when in the UK. In addition, the use of biometrics allows us to identify those who have entered the UK on a visa but subsequently destroyed their ID papers. This information is fed into risk profiles to inform future visa decisions. UKBA is also employing structured decision-making techniques to improve consistency in decision-making. The Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance scrutinises visa refusals not acceptances.

Entry Clearances

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas for entry into the UK were  (a) accepted and  (b) refused in each year since 2003.

Phil Woolas: The total number of (a) visa applications received (b) visas issued and (c) visas refused in each year from 2004-08 is shown in the following table. Reliable data for prior years are not held.
	
		
			   Applications  Issued  Refused 
			 2004 2,515,845 1,994,384 419,819 
			 2005 2,575,518 2,075,781 459,958 
			 2006 2,747,782 2,243,346 480,238 
			 2007 2,551,890 2,071,878 472,418 
			 2008 2,438,634 1,952,363 470,811

Entry Clearances: China

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes in the charge for visas for  (a) business visitors,  (b) students,  (c) family visitors,  (d) spouses or civil partners of a settled person,  (e) children of a settled person,  (f) prospective students and  (g) visitors from China there have been in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 December 200 8
	The visa fees for business visitors, students, family visitors, spouse or civil partners of a settled person, children of a settled person, prospective students and visits from China for the last three years are listed in the following table:
	
		
			   
			   2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 -0 9 
			 Business visitors 50 63 65 
			 Students 85 99 99 
			 Family visitors 50 63 65 
			 Spouses or civil partners of a settled person 260 500 515 
			 Children of a settled person 260 500 515 
			 Prospective students 85 99 99 
			 Visitors from China 50 63 65 
			 Long term visitor visamultiple entry visa valid for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years (available to business visitors, family visitors and visitors from China) 85 200 205 
		
	
	We recently ran a pilot in China from 3 March 2008 to 3 October 2008 for visitors applying as a group to travel to the UK with a known and trusted agent. It was only open to those applicants who intended to travel with an agent who is part of the Approved Destination Scheme. We set a fee of 44 during March which then increased to 45 from April.

Entry Clearances: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applications have been made by residents of  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she next expects to announce revised visa charges for entry into the UK.

Phil Woolas: We announced the visa fees for 2009-10 in a written ministerial statement on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 91WS.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means and on what dates the recent changes affecting the length of student visas issued under the points-based immigration system were communicated to  (a) universities,  (b) media organisations and  (c) others.

Phil Woolas: I agreed the change to the policy change on length of student visas under Tier 4 of the points based system on 24 February 2009. On the 25 February I confirmed these changes in writing to my right hon. Friend the Minster for high education and intellectual property and to Baroness Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK.
	The principal consultative body with which we engage in the education sector is the Joint Education Taskforce. The taskforce includes universities, further education colleges and independent schools as well as members of the relevant bodies such as UUK, UKCISA, UCAS and many others. Those on the taskforce have agreed to cascade communications to their members and to publish any correspondence from the UK Border Agency on their websites as soon as reasonably practicable.
	We presented the policy change on length of student visas to the meeting of the Joint Education Taskforce on 26 February 2009. We also presented updates on the maintenance requirements under Tier 4. A letter was distributed to the taskforce on 27 February confirming the new arrangements and asking members to advise the sector of the changes and to draw attention to the newly-published draft policy guidance on Tier 4 on the UK Border Agency website. The publication of the draft guidance was highlighted by an accompanying news item on the UK Border Agency website.
	On 6 March, a further letter was sent to the taskforce to inform them that the guidance for Tier 4 migrants would be published on the UK Border Agency website after the immigration rules were laid in Parliament on 9 March, which they were asked to circulate to their members.
	On 10 March, I made a written ministerial statement introducing a statement of changes to the immigration rules (HC314) which was accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. A press release supported this announcement.
	Additionally, the final migrant policy guidance for Tier 4 and HC314 itself were published on the website with a supporting news article.
	On 31 March, Tier 4 came into effect. This was supported by a press release and updates to the UK Border Agency website on 31 March, as well as an article published on 2 April in  The Times Higher Education Supplement. These all referred to the change in length of leave under Tier 4.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which colleges are on the UK Border Agency's accredited institution list; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: There are at present 1,496 colleges on the Register of Sponsors under Tier 4 of the points-based system. A full list of the establishments is available on the UK Border Agency website which is update twice weekly.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Visitors

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of persons who had travelled to the UK on visitor visas who remained in the UK after the expiry of the visas in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Since the phasing out of embarkation controls in 1994 no Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, including those who have overstayed on their visa. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately and that remains the case.
	As part of the Government's 10-point plan for delivery, by 2010 over 95 per cent. of non-EEA foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country, rising to 100 per cent. by 2014. This is part of a sweeping programme of border protection which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, watch-list checks for all travellers before they arrive or depart from the UK and ID cards for foreign nationals.

Extradition: USA

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people the Government have sought to extradite from the United States in each year since 2001; and how many people were extradited from the United States to the UK in each of those years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the following table. The data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. The data are provisional and may be subject to change.
	
		
			   UK extradition requests made to USA  Persons returned by USA to UK 
			 2001 4 3 
			 2002 9 3 
			 2003 5 2 
			 2004 2 4 
			 2005 7 1 
			 2006 4 4 
			 2007 16 7 
			 2008 8 10 
			  Note:  Scotland makes and (until 1 April 2008) Northern Ireland made its own extradition requests. Statistics for such cases are not included in this table.

Extradition: USA

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) were extradited and  (b) successfully appealed against extradition from the UK to the United States in each year since 2001; and how many people were subject to such extradition proceedings in each of those years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is in the following table. The data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. The data are provisional and may be subject to change.
	
		
			   (a) Persons surrendered to USA  (b) Persons discharged from US extradition requests  (c) Extradition arrests pursuant to US requests 
			 2001 8 0 14 
			 2002 12 4 8 
			 2003 6 2 5 
			 2004 8 0 35 
			 2005 14 1 6 
			 2006 19 2 15 
			 2007 9 1 10 
			 2008 6 3 9 
			  Note: Cases involving persons in Scotland and in Northern Ireland are handled by the Scottish Ministers and were handled until 1 April 2008 by Northern Ireland Ministers. Statistics for such cases are not included in this table.

Fingerprints: Databases

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions staff of the UK Border Agency accessed the Eurodac database in  (a) 2008 and  (b) each of the first three months of 2009.

Phil Woolas: The latest published data for the United Kingdom's transactions with the Eurodac database are for 2007 and can be found in the European Commission's Annual Report to the Council and the European Parliament on the activities of the Eurodac Central Unit. This report can be accessed at:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?=COM:2009:0013:FIN:EN:PDF
	and a copy will be placed in the House Library.
	Information for 2008 and 2009 will be published in the annual reports for these years.

Firearms: Crime

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) gun crimes and  (b) arrests relating to gun crime there were in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force area in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Available data relate to offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) recorded between 2003-04 and 2007-08, and were published in table 2.12 of 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2007-08' (HOSB 02/09), which can be found online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0209.pdf
	Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.
	Data on arrests relating to gun crime cannot be provided by the Home Office since  (a) the centrally held firearm offences database does not record detection or suspect data, and  (b) offences involving firearms cannot be identified on the centrally held arrests database.

Forced Marriage

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of forced marriages which occurred in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: We know that forced marriage is a hidden issue, where many victims are too afraid to come forward and seek help. Given this, it is difficult to assess the true scale of the problem. The Government's Forced Marriage Unit deal with a significant number of cases every year. However, it is only possible to give figures for the whole of the UK, as opposed to specific regions.
	In 2008, the FMU dealt with 420 cases (213 assistance cases, and 207 reluctant sponsor cases).
	In 2007, the FMU dealt with 251 cases (165 assistance cases and 86 reluctant sponsor cases).
	In 2006, the FMU dealt with 182 cases (99 assistance cases, and 83 reluctant sponsors).
	In 2005, the FMU dealt with 152 cases (not broken down into assistance and reluctant sponsor cases).
	In 2008, the FMU began keeping more detailed statistics on all reportings of forced marriage that were referred to the FMU. During the whole of 2008, the FMU received reports of over 1,600 possible forced marriage cases. Of those who gave a location, 15 per cent. were in the North West region. Unfortunately these statistics are not broken down by county.

Foreign Workers: Fixed Penalties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to workers from  (a) Bulgaria and  (b) Romania for breach of the Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006 since 1 January 2007.

Jacqui Smith: Between 1 January 2007 and 31 January 2009, a total of 99 fixed penalty notices for breach of the Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations were issued to workers from Bulgaria, and 287 to workers from Romania.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Homicide

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those who have served at least part of a life sentence for homicide in the last 10 years were the partner or ex-partner of the victim at the time of the homicide.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to extract the requested information from databases centrally held by the Ministry of Justice.
	Available data from the Home Office's Homicide Index relate to offences currently recorded as homicides in England and Wales as at 4 November 2008. Latest analysis was published in Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2007/08 (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/09), which is available on the Home Office RDS website.
	Between 1998-99 and 2007-08, there were 546 currently recorded homicides where the victim's relationship to principal suspect was 'current or ex-partner' and the principal suspect was sentenced to life imprisonment having been convicted of murder, section 2 manslaughter or other manslaughter. This figure excludes those persons for whom a Restriction Order (Mental Health Act 1983 s41) was imposed by the court, since the sentence is without limit of time, and those for whom a Hospital Order (Mental Health Act 1983 s37(1)) was imposed.

Human Trafficking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish the analysis of outcomes of Pentameter 2 undertaken by the UK Human Trafficking Centre; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: A report on the outcomes of Operation Pentameter 2 is planned to be published by Gloucestershire Constabulary in the spring.
	There are no plans for the UKHTC to publish a report on its analytical work because of operational sensitivities.

Human Trafficking

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what programmes her Department has developed to tackle the illegal trafficking of individuals; how much has been allocated to such programmes; and what organisations are responsible for executing them.

Phil Woolas: A programme of 85 cross Government actions are outlined in the United Kingdom's Action Plan which is updated annually with the responsible agencies listed against each action. Progress on all areas of work is overseen by the Inter Departmental Ministerial Group of which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Campbell) is Chair.
	Human trafficking is core police business and all forces should have the capacity to deal with trafficking problems in their area. This will be reinforced by the joint UK Human Trafficking Centre and National Policing Improvement Agency programme to embed human trafficking within mandatory police training courses throughout 2009. Training on human trafficking issues within the UK Border Agency is mandatory for all staff up to grade 7 level.
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency has tackling organised immigration crime as its second highest priority. SOCA co-ordinates two programmes of activity aimed at organised immigration crime, including human trafficking which are aimed at the reduction of such crime at source and key nexus points and to reduce the exploitation of migrants in the UK by organised criminal gangs.
	We shall fund the UKHTC to the tune of 4.5million for the current spending review period and SOCA receives an overall budget of 400 million.

Human Trafficking

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the measures in place to prevent further exploitation of trafficked individuals prior to deportation; how many trafficked individuals detained in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 were deported; and to which countries.

Phil Woolas: Ratification of the Council of Europe convention on action against human trafficking in December 2008 underlines the Government's commitment to protecting victims of trafficking.
	The Home Office monitors UN and EU reports on human rights and criminal justice issues in other countries. Specific country information is available for consideration when any return is being instigated. We also work with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and have established partnerships with a number of charities to offer reintegration assistance to victims who are returned to their country of origin.
	Where there is a real risk that a person would be re-trafficked and subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment in the proposed destination country, removal of that person would be contrary to the UK's obligations under the ECHR. In those circumstances the person concerned will generally be granted some form of leave.
	The information concerning the deportation of trafficked individuals is not currently available in the format requested. As part of the implementation of the convention we are putting in place mechanisms for systematically capturing data relating specifically to victims of trafficking. We anticipate these data will start to become available in the summer.

Human Trafficking: Compensation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with  (a) her overseas counterparts and  (b) Ministerial colleagues on financial compensation to individuals trafficked into the UK.

Alan Campbell: Compensation for victims of human trafficking can be sought in a number of ways. Prosecutors can request compensation orders upon a conviction or through the criminal injuries compensation scheme (CICS). We currently fund the charity Victim Support to assist in applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service has issued guidance to prosecutors on the matter of compensation orders.
	Recently it has been highlighted in the media that four women trafficked into sexual exploitation received compensation through CICS of over 140,000 each.

Identity Cards: Costs

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the costs of identity cards for  (a) UK citizens,  (b) Irish citizens and  (c) foreign nationals she expects to be covered by receipts from fees for issue of the cards.

Vernon Coaker: All operational resource costs associated with providing passports and ID cards to British and Irish citizens resident in the UK are expected to be funded through fee income. Initial set-up costs for this group will be funded by the Home Office.
	The operational cost of issuing identity cards for foreign nationals, including capturing and registering biometric information, will be fully recovered through the application fees.

Identity Cards: Interviews

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1093W, on the national identity register, in what type of cases may individuals be asked to attend an interview when they apply for registration on the National Identity Register or for a replacement card.

Phil Woolas: Whether an individual would be invited to attend an interview prior to registration on the National Identity Register will depend on the particular circumstances of the application but, as now with first time adult applicants for passports, it is likely that the Identity and Passport Service would need to interview an applicant where there is limited evidence of identity such as no previous passport history. An interview is one way of helping to establish identity.

Illegal Immigrants: Amnesties

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the merits of offering an amnesty to illegal migrants; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government have ruled out an amnesty and this remains our position. An amnesty would be unfair to those who are here legally; it would act as a pull factor for even more attempts at illegal immigration; and it would counter the achievements by the UK Border Agency to improve our border and immigration system.

Illegal Immigrants: Prosecutions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2009,  Official Report, column 118W, on illegal immigrants: arrests, how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) deportations were made following the 1,685 enforcement visits made to restaurants and takeaway food outlets in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency records details of the number of individuals arrested as suspected immigration offenders, details of prosecutions, and the details of those removed on three separate systems. In order to achieve the required level of data quality, the cross-referencing of data between the three systems could be completed only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed and departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis, as well as statistics on persons proceeded against for offences under Immigration Acts in England and Wales annually. National Statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Immigrants: Fingerprints

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) records and  (b) data subjects there are on the Immigration and Asylum fingerprint database.

Phil Woolas: The number of records held on the Immigration and Asylum fingerprint database for the week ending 28 March 2009 is 4.80 million.
	The number of data subjects there are on the Immigration and Asylum fingerprint database for the week ending 28 March 2009 is 4.14 million

Immigration

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy cases of indefinite leave to remain are under consideration; what the longest time for a decision to be made on such a case has been; and when she expects the last such case to have been disposed of.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 : In July 2006 the former Home Secretary informed Parliament that the UK Border Agency had a backlog of around 400,000 to 450,000 electronic and paper records, which were riddled with duplication and errors, and include cases of individuals who have since died or left the country, or are now EU citizens.
	Due to the poor data quality of these cases, to identify how many cases will result in the granting of indefinite leave to remain that are currently under consideration would involve disproportionate cost.
	The information requested regarding the longest time for a decision to be made on a legacy case is not collated and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost through the manual examination of individual case files.
	The UK Border Agency is aiming to conclude the backlog of legacy cases by summer 2011 and is on track to do so.

Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to determine the application for indefinite leave to remain of Zakia Ahmed, reference A1387430, case ID10352843.

Phil Woolas: I wrote to the hon. Member on 6 April 2009.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to entry clearance officers on the registration of the application date in respect of the points-based immigration system.

Phil Woolas: Guidance about the date of an entry clearance application is available in the points-based system policy guidance, which is published on the UK Border Agency website.
	The current published version of the guidance says that the date an entry clearance application is made is
	the date that the fee associated with the application is paid and the applicant's biometric details taken.
	The UK Border Agency will shortly be publishing an amended version of the guidance which will say that the date of application is
	the date that the fee associated with the application is paid.

Immigration Controls

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training on the Tier 1 points-based system her Department has provided to  (a) entry clearance officers and  (b) other employees of (i) her Department and (ii) the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 2 April 2009
	Entry clearance officers received full Tier 1 training during April 2008 which encompassed PBS overview and how to consider applications under the new system.
	UK Border Agency staff received awareness sessions (248 staff) which covered Tier 1 General. Specifically 70 caseworkers were trained during February/March 2008 to process in-country applications. This involved a three day training course which covered all elements of Tier 1. Further training has been provided as new caseworkers join the Agency.

Immigration Controls: Eurostar

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether UK Border Agency staff assigned to juxtaposed controls at Eurostar terminals in France and Belgium have received training in the identification of suspected children being trafficked; and how many children have been so identified since the introduction of juxtaposed controls.

Phil Woolas: All Border Force staff are required to complete a learning package on human trafficking which will teach them how to identify potential victims of trafficking.
	In October 2007, a separate learning package was launched to ensure that staff have the right knowledge to safeguard children. This was designed in partnership with other organisations and is compulsory for all staff regardless of grade or Department.
	A number of staff also receive specialised training in interviewing children.
	Juxtaposed controls were introduced at France and Belgium in 2004. Since then, UK Border Agency staff, at the juxtaposed controls, have identified 110 cases involving children and vulnerable adults (up to the age of 30 years) suspected of being trafficked.
	These figures have been sourced from locally collated management information and do not represent National Statistics.

Immigration: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has allocated to the Process Improvement Fund for Wave One airports.

Phil Woolas: In November it was announced that a Process Improvement Fund of up to a maximum of 500,000 would be established to enable Wave One participants to take advantage of the opportunities identity cards provide in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of existing pre-employment checking processes, during the 18 month evaluation period.

Immigration: Biometrics

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 915-6W, on biometrics: airports, how much her Department spent on IRIS technology in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009 to date.

Phil Woolas: The costs incurred to the Department for the maintenance and support of Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS), are as follows:
	 (a) 2008: 568,100
	 (b) January to March 2009: 149,600.

Immigration: Biometrics

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which UK airports are using the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) what percentage of passengers passing through immigration control at each airport was processed through IRIS on the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Iris Recognition Immigration System is in use at ten locations, the five Heathrow Terminals, the two Gatwick Terminals, Manchester Terminals 1 and 2 and at Birmingham Airport.
	Over the period from August 2008 to January 2009, the percentages of passengers at those ports passing through the IRIS gates are as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Heathrow 1.11 
			 Gatwick 0.53 
			 Manchester 0.26 
			 Birmingham 0.49 
		
	
	These data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications.

Immigration: Marriage

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people granted settlement last year after four or five months on a work permit had married a person not subject to immigration control prior to their application for settlement.

Phil Woolas: The information is not held or collated, and to obtain it would require examination of each individual case at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Married People

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to introduce pre-certification for marriage applications for foreign under 21-year-olds.

Phil Woolas: We raised the minimum age at which someone can sponsor a spouse to come to the UK or be sponsored as a spouse from 18 to 21 on 27 November 2008.
	We are continuing to look at what more can be done to strengthen the marriage route against abuse, and ensure that it assists a spouse's integration into the UK at an early stage. This includes work to develop our proposal, as set out in the document 'Marriage Visas: The Way Forward' published July 2008, to make it a requirement for sponsors to register their intention to sponsor a spouse to come to the UK and if needed attend a compulsory interview.

Immigration: Tibet

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what designation the UK Border Agency uses to classify persons of Tibetan origin who wish to enter the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 19 March 2009
	Tibetans, like all persons seeking entry to the UK, are required to produce a valid national passport satisfactorily establishing their identity and nationality, and are classified accordingly.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the wheel-clamping study recently sent to her by the Security Industry Authority.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Secretary announced on 3 April her intention to launch a formal consultation in late April on the options for how best to regulate the wheel-clamping industry. The consultation document, which includes the results of the SIA's feasibility study, will be published, and copies will be placed in the House Libraries.
	The Government's preferred option will be to introduce compulsory licensing by the Security Industry Authority of wheel-clamping companies.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her proposals for the future of the wheel-clamping industry will include changes to  (a) the regulation of wheel-clamping companies,  (b) the maximum level of charges that clamping companies can impose on private land and  (c) the minimum standards for signage on private land; and when she plans to publish her proposals.

Phil Woolas: We will launch a formal consultation in late April considering how best to regulate the wheel-clamping industry. The Government's preferred option would be to introduce compulsory licensing for all wheel-clamping companies, to ensure they uphold standards of conduct, which will be enforced if they are not met.
	The details of the scheme will be decided after the public consultation, but are likely to include maximum penalties that can be charged and standards on signage, including size and visibility.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 19 March 2009, on the Vetting and Barring Scheme, what the reason is for the period of time taken between implementing the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 in October 2009 and the scheme becoming fully operational in July 2010; and what assessment she has made of the likely effects of this period on the operation of the scheme.

Jacqui Smith: The commencement of new applications under section 24 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 will take place in July 2010 to enable full implementation and testing of the new IT systems which are required to introduce the scheme effectively, including a contingency period. In the period from October 2009, the Independent Safeguarding Authority will be able to bar from the full range of regulated activities with children or vulnerable adults any cases referred to it in which it considers the individual referred to be unsuitable for such work.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the monthly operating costs of the Independent Safeguarding Authority  (a) at present and  (b) once the Vetting and Barring Scheme becomes fully operational in July 2010.

Jacqui Smith: The present monthly operating costs of ISA are budgeted at c. 1.075 million (12.9 million for 2009-10).
	The monthly operating costs of ISA once the scheme becomes fully operational in July 2010 are estimated to be 3.33 million.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what electronic databases will be used by the Independent Safeguarding Authority to operate the Vetting and Barring Scheme.

Jacqui Smith: The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will operate a database maintaining the lists of those barred from working with children or vulnerable adults in accordance with section 2 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. It will also operate two databases maintaining two lists of those who are ISA registered and able to work with children and vulnerable adults together with a casework management system.
	It will be provided with relevant information by the Criminal Records Bureau, which has access to information recorded on the Police National Computer and other police systems.

Lunar House

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects work to be completed on the area beneath Lunar House to provide an additional covered queuing area for customers.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency is committed to improving the public queuing area outside Lunar House. The work is intended to provide an enclosed, safe and secure queuing area for customers attending both the Public Enquiry Office and the Asylum Screening Unit. Project managers have already been appointed to consider and specify work options and provide costs for these improvements. The project managers' report is due back within the next few weeks. Once this has been received it is hoped that a decision may then be made to start works on site with a provisional completion date in early 2010. This will be subject to receiving timely landlord's consent for the works to be undertaken and planning approval from the local authority.

Malicious Communications Act 1988: Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of  (a) men and  (b) women in each age group have taken place under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 in each police force area in each year since the Act came into force; and how many of those prosecutions related to anti-Semitic material.

Phil Woolas: Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts under the 1988 Malicious Communications Act in England and Wales, by police force area, sex and age, from 2002 to 2007 are in the following table. Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009. The data provided cannot separately identify court proceedings relating to anti-Semitic material
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Earlier data on prosecutions under the Act are not available because before 2002, data on this offence were reported to the Ministry of Justice as a part of a miscellaneous group which could not be separated.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against under the 1988 Malicious Communications Act, broken down by police force area, sex and age, England and Wales, 2002 to 2007( 1,)( )( 2) 
			  Force  Sex  Age  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset Male 10 to 17 2 1 
			   18 and over 1 3  5 6 8 
			   Total 1 3  5 8 9 
			  Female 10 to 171 2 1 
			   18 and over   1  2 4 
			   Total   1 1 4 5 
			  Total  1 3 1 6 12 14 
			  
			 Bedfordshire Male 18 and over  3 3
			   Total  3 3
			  Total   3 3
			  
			 Cambridgeshire Male 18 and over 2 1 
			   Total 2 1 
			  Female 18 and over 1 1 
			   Total 1 1 
			  Total  3 2 
			  
			 Cheshire Male 18 and over  1  1 3 4 
			   Total  1  1 3 4 
			  Female 18 and over 2  
			   Total 2  
			  Total   1  1 5 4 
			  
			 City of London Male 18 and over  11 
			   Total  11 
			  Total   11 
			  
			 Cleveland Male 18 and over   2 1 2  
			   Total   2 1 2  
			  Total2 1 2  
			  
			 Cumbria Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over 1 1 2 1 4 2 
			   Total 1 1 2 1 4 3 
			  Female 10 to 17 1  
			   18 and over 2 1  2  1 
			   Total 3 1  2  1 
			  Total  4 2 2 3 4 4 
			  
			 Derbyshire Male 18 and over  1  1 2 6 
			   Total  1  1 2 6 
			  Female 10 to 17  1   1  
			   18 and over  1 
			   Total  1   1 1 
			  Total   2  1 3 7 
			  
			 Devon and Cornwall Male 10 to 171 2 2 
			   18 and over 2 3 3 1 5 9 
			   Total 2 3 3 2 7 11 
			  Female 10 to 171  1 
			   18 and over 1 1 3 3  1 
			   Total 1 1 3 4  2 
			  Total  3 4 6 6 7 13 
			  
			 Dorset Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over  1 
			   Total  2 
			  Female 18 and over1   
			   Total1   
			  Total 1  2 
			  
			 Durham Male 18 and over 1 3 
			   Total 1 3 
			  Female 18 and over  1 
			   Total  1 
			  Total  1 4 
			  
			 Essex Male 10 to 17 1  
			   18 and over 1 2 1 4 7 2 
			   Total 1 2 1 4 8 2 
			  Female 18 and over 1 2 
			   Total 1 2 
			  Total  2 2 1 4 8 4 
			  
			 Gloucestershire Male 18 and over 3  1 1 1 1 
			   Total 3  1 1 1 1 
			  Total  3  1 1 1 1 
			  
			 Greater Manchester Male 10 to 17  1  1 1 1 
			   18 and over 1 3 3 3 7 7 
			   Total 1 4 3 4 8 8 
			  Female 18 and over1 2 2 
			   Total1 2 2 
			  Total  1 4 3 5 10 10 
			  
			 Hampshire Male 10 to 17 1 1 
			   18 and over  1 3 1 2 7 
			   Total  1 3 1 3 8 
			  Female 10 to 17   1
			   18 and over1   
			   Total   1 1   
			  Total   1 4 2 3 8 
			  
			 Hertfordshire Male 10 to 17  1  1  4 
			   18 and over 1 5 1 3 10 9 
			   Total 1 6 1 4 10 13 
			  Female 10 to 171   
			   18 and over 1 3 
			   Total1 1 3 
			  Total  1 6 1 5 11 16 
			  
			 Humberside Male 10 to 171 1  
			   18 and over 1 1  5 3 4 
			   Total 1 1  6 4 4 
			  Total  1 1  6 4 4 
			  
			 Kent Male 10 to 171   
			   18 and over  2 1 1  2 
			   Total  2 1 2  2 
			  Female 18 and over 1  
			   Total 1  
			  Total   2 1 2 1 2 
			  
			 Lancashire Male 10 to 171   
			   18 and over 1 2 2  2 6 
			   Total 1 2 2 1 2 6 
			  Female 18 and over 1 1 
			   Total 1 1 
			  Total  2 2 2 1 2 7 
			  
			 Leicestershire Male 10 to 17   1
			   18 and over  2 2 7 13 1 
			   Total  2 3 7 13 1 
			  Female 18 and over  1 1 1   
			   Total  1 1 1   
			  Total   3 4 8 13 1 
			  
			 Lincolnshire Male 18 and over 1  1 1 5 4 
			   Total 1  1 1 5 4 
			  Female 10 to 17 1  
			   18 and over 3 1 
			   Total 4 1 
			  Total  1  1 1 9 5 
			  
			 Merseyside Male 18 and over  15 
			   Total  15 
			  Total   15 
			  
			 Metropolitan Police Male 10 to 17  1 2 1  1 
			   18 and over 14 14 20 16 15 26 
			   Total 14 15 22 17 15 27 
			  Female 10 to 171   
			   18 and over 4 3 2 3  1 
			   Total 4 3 2 4  1 
			  Total  18 18 24 21 15 28 
			  
			 Norfolk Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over 1 3   3  
			   Total 1 3   3 1 
			  Total  1 3   3 1 
			  
			 North Yorkshire Male 18 and over 1 110 
			   Total 1 110 
			  Female 10 to 17 1  
			   18 and over  1 
			   Total 1 1 
			  Total  2 111 
			  
			 Northamptonshire Female 18 and over   2
			   Total   2
			  Total2
			  
			 Northumbria Male 10 to 17  2 
			   18 and over 1 1 2 3 5 10 
			   Total 1 1 2 3 5 12 
			  Female 10 to 171   
			   18 and over 2 5 
			   Total1 2 5 
			  Total  1 1 2 4 7 17 
			  
			 Nottinghamshire Male 10 to 17 3  
			   18 and over 1 1 3 4 1 4 
			   Total 1 1 3 4 4 4 
			  Female 18 and over  1 
			   Total  1 
			  Total  1 1 3 4 4 5 
			  
			 South Yorkshire Male 18 and over2 1 3 
			   Total2 1 3 
			  Total 2 1 3 
			  
			 Staffordshire Male 18 and over  1 3 4 3 3 
			   Total  1 3 4 3 3 
			  Female 18 and over   1
			   Total   1
			  Total   1 4 4 3 3 
			  
			 Suffolk Male 10 to 171  2 
			   18 and over 2  3  5 3 
			   Total 2  3 1 5 5 
			  Female 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over   1 1   
			   Total   1 1  1 
			  Total  2  4 2 5 6 
			  
			 Surrey Male 18 and over   2  5 3 
			   Total   2  5 3 
			  Total2  5 3 
			  
			 Sussex Male 18 and over  1 
			   Total  1 
			  Female 18 and over 1 2 
			   Total 1 2 
			  Total  1 3 
			  
			 Thames Valley Male 18 and over  6 9 5 5 6 
			   Total  6 9 5 5 6 
			  Female 18 and over   2 1 1 2 
			   Total   2 1 1 2 
			  Total   6 11 6 6 8 
			  
			 Warwickshire Male 18 and over 12 2 
			   Total 12 2 
			  Female 10 to 17 1  
			   Total 1  
			  Total  13 2 
			  
			 West Mercia Male 18 and over 1 2 3 4  9 
			   Total 1 2 3 4  9 
			  Female 18 and over  1 1 1   
			   Total  1 1 1   
			  Total  1 3 4 5  9 
			  
			 West Midlands Male 10 to 17  1  1  1 
			   18 and over 7 3 5 5 10 7 
			   Total 7 4 5 6 10 8 
			  Female 18 and over2 2 1 
			   Total2 2 1 
			  Total  7 4 5 8 12 9 
			  
			 West Yorkshire Male 18 and over 3  1  6 11 
			   Total 3  1  6 11 
			  Female 18 and over1  2 
			   Total1  2 
			  Total  3  1 1 6 13 
			  
			 Wiltshire Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over1  5 
			   Total1  6 
			  Female 18 and over   1  1  
			   Total   1  1  
			  Total1 1 1 6 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over 2   2 1 1 
			   Total 2   2 1 2 
			  Female 18 and over 1  
			   Total 1  
			  Total  2   2 2 2 
			  
			 Gwent Male 10 to 17  1 
			   18 and over 1   3 3 5 
			   Total 1   3 3 6 
			  Female 18 and over1   
			   Total1   
			  Total  1   4 3 6 
			 North Wales Male 18 and over 1  1 1 3 2 
			   Total 1  1 1 3 2 
			  Female 18 and over 22  
			   Total 22  
			  Total  3  1 1 5 2 
			  
			 South Wales Male 10 to 17   1
			   18 and over 4 2 1 1 1  
			   Total 4 2 2 1 1  
			  Female 18 and over   1 1   
			   Total   1 1   
			  Total  4 2 3 2 1  
			  
			 England and Wales Male 10 to 17  4 4 9 11 21 
			   18 and over 53 66 78 87 144 194 
			   Total 53 70 82 96 155 215 
			  Female 10 to 17 2 1 1 5 5 3 
			   18 and over 11 7 16 20 22 33 
			   Total 13 8 17 25 27 36 
			  Total  66 78 99 121 182 251 
			 (1 )The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 26 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr K Khan.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 24 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 6 February 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs A Sibal.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 25 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 6 February 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. S. Ali.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 25 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter to her dated 4 February 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to S. Hashmi.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 24 July 2008, reference M14 547/8, on Gurkhas retired from the armed forces, in respect of which the hon. Member has written to her on 10 September, 1 October, 30 October and 17 December 2008 and 22 January 2009.

Phil Woolas: In September 2008, the High Court agreed that the 1997 cut-off date applied to retired Gurkhas was sound and not discriminatory. However, it did find that the policy guidance relating to the treatment of Gurkhas discharged before 1997 was not sufficiently clear and did not cover service-related factors. We are determined to get the revised guidance right to ensure that it is fair to all Gurkhas and this has involved consultation across Government.
	The revised guidance for Gurkhas who retired before July 1997 and who wish to seek settlement in the UK will be published by 24 April.
	We want to give Members the fullest possible information and we therefore plan to respond as soon as possible after that date with a full explanation of our revised guidance.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 16 March 2009, on her constituent Mr. Joseph Kamangire.

Phil Woolas: The Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency, Jonathan Sedgwick, wrote to my hon. Friend on 2 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 9 February 2009 with regard to a constituent, reference POS(2)10644/0088; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply.

Phil Woolas: The letter referred to was received in the Home Office on 12 February 2009, and was transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions on 17 February. A letter advising the transfer was sent to my hon. Friend's office, also on 17 February.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 17 February 2009, with regard to Mr. Safraz Muneer.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 16 February 2009, with regard to Mr. Mohammed Ayub.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 2 April 2009.

Offences Against Children: British Nationality

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens were arrested in the course of Operation Koala; how many were charged with offences; how many were convicted of each type of offence; what sentence each person convicted received; on what date; and where each person given a custodial sentence was sent to serve it.

Jacqui Smith: h olding answer 24 March 2009
	 Operation Koala involves the investigation of the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including the making and sharing of images from that abuse across a number of countries worldwide. From the original data passed to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the UK, 92 suspects were identified and intelligence packages sent to relevant UK police forces where the suspected offender was believed to reside. Operation Koala remains an ongoing inquiry. The information sought is not held centrally.

Offensive Weapons

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ascertain what proportion of crimes involving knives are carried out using domestic kitchen utensils.

Vernon Coaker: Although routine statistics are not collected by the police on this issue, as part of the Tackling Knives Action Programme we are working with local forces to try to gain a better understanding of the origins of weapons used in serious youth violence.

Offensive Weapons: Convictions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1093W, on offensive weapons: convictions, how many convictions there were for possession of a knife in the period June to November  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2007.

Jacqui Smith: The answer of the 17 March 2009 referred to a provisional 815 more convictions for the possession of a knife or offensive weapon in the 10 TKAP areas in the period June to November 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. Of this number, there were 777 more convictions for the possession of an article with a blade or point and 38 more convictions for the possession of an offensive weapon.
	These figures are provisional and have been derived from the police's administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Offensive Weapons: Crime Prevention

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1083W, on offensive weapons: crime prevention, whether young people were involved in the Tackling Knives Action Programme.

Vernon Coaker: Engaging young people has been a key element of the Tackling Knives Action Programme. All forces involved have delivered education programmes on the dangers and consequences of carrying knives. In addition, young people have been involved in youth forums, conferences and a range of events using drama, sport, music and dance. A National Youth Theatre tour, funded through the programme, has also given young people an opportunity to educate their peers on the risks and consequences of knife carrying.
	The Home Office worked with a group of young people to develop the 'It Doesn't Have to Happen' youth marketing campaign, which seeks to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife and encourage them to put the knife down and take up a more positive activity. Young people have contributed to the campaign's development and are encouraged to share the campaign messages with their peers. The campaign has used a range of radio, viral, online and poster adverts as well as events and competitions to get the messages across. Over 10,000 people are also members of the campaign's thriving Bebo community, providing young people with an online forum to share their views and take a stand against knife crime.

Offensive Weapons: Crime Prevention

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Children's Commissioner on measures to reduce incidents of gun and knife crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office is currently considering two reports it has recently received from the Children's Commissioner's organisation, 11 Million published on 16 March, which examine gun and knife crime. The first report sets out the results of a survey of young people. The second sets out the outcome of a literature review and provides a series of recommendations. I am shortly due to meet with the researchers of these reports to discuss their findings and proposals.

Offensive Weapons: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people received the maximum punishment on conviction for selling a knife to a young person under age in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: The maximum punishment on conviction for selling a knife to a young person under age is six months imprisonment and a fine of 5,000. As of 1 October 2007, the definition of a young person was amended from anyone under the age of 16, to under the age of 18.
	In each of the last 10 years, no one who was sentenced for selling a knife to a young person received the maximum sentence. Statutory maximums should be seen as just that: maximums, and reserved solely for the most serious of offenders and offences. The majority of offenders will, quite rightly, not be eligible for such a sentence.
	Statistics on knife crime were published in annex A of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/09 Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2008, published on 22 January 2009. A copy of the publication is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0109.pdf

Passports: Immigrants

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time to determine an application for a travel document by a person with indefinite leave to remain is.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 23 March 2009
	The requested information is not held centrally in the format required and could be obtained by examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Passports: Lost Property

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  ( a) passports sent to the UK Border Agency and its predecessors by applicants for leave to remain and  (b) files of cases under active consideration by the Agency have been lost by the Agency and its predecessors in (i) 2009 to date and (ii) each year since 2004.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 2 April 2009
	UKBA does not collate information about lost passports or files in the format requested. The number of files identified as lost on 31 March represents less than 0.2 per cent. of the Agency's total holding.

Police Custody: Death

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in custody there were in each custody suite operated by South Wales police in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Between 1 April 2004 and 28 February 2009 the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has reported on eight deaths that occurred 'in or following police custody' in custody suites operated by South Wales police.
	In 2004-05 there were four deaths in or following police custody, involving police custody suites in Swansea Central police station and Barry police station.
	In 2006-07 there was one death in or following police custody, involving police custody suites in, Swansea Central police station and Rumney police station.
	There was one death on arrest but prior to arrival in a custody suite.
	In 2007-08 there was one death in or following police custody, involving the police custody suite in Barry police station.
	No deaths in or following police custody were reported in relation to South Wales police in 2005-06. Information for 2008-09 will be published in the IPCC annual report, which is due for publication in July 2009.

Police Stations: Barry

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the chief constable of South Wales police on the future of Barry police station.

Vernon Coaker: No discussions have taken place with the chief constable of South Wales police on the future of Barry police station. The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for the police authority and chief constable for each force, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Animals

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what species of animal, other than dogs, are used in police operations.

Vernon Coaker: Police also use horses in policing operations, mostly concerning public order.

Police: Discrimination

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many compensation claims for discrimination have been brought against each police force in each of the last five years; and what the  (a) outcome and  (b) category of discrimination was in each case.

Jacqui Smith: The available information shows the overall number of compensation claims for discrimination in each police force area for each year between 2003-04 and 2007-08; and the numbers of claims brought, withdrawn, settled and awards made for sex discrimination, race discrimination and other discrimination by police force area over the five year period. These data appear in the following tables.
	Figures on individual cases are not collected centrally.
	These data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics.
	These data are provisional and may be subject to change.
	Under the Normington Review proposals, the compensation claims collection will cease from April 2009.
	
		
			  Number of claims brought in year by type of discrimination( 1) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   Sex  Race  Other( 2)  Sex  Race  Other( 2)  Sex  Race  Other( 2)  Sex  Race  Other( 2)  Sex  Race  Other( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 14 0 3 3 1 9 
			 Bedfordshire 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire n/a n/a n/a 3 2 2 1 3 2 2 0 1 4 4 2 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cleveland 3 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 
			 Cumbria 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 
			 Derbyshire 3 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 1 3 2 0 3 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall n/a n/a n/a 1 0 4 0 1 2 6 0 0 4 0 9 
			 Dorset 0 0 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 n/a n/a 2 0 4 
			 Essex 2 0 0 2 1 1 3 0 0 2 1 4 2 2 5 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a 4 0 1 0 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 2 3 7 0 1 7 1 0 6 1 3 9 3 3 13 
			 Gwent 3 0 3 2 0 2 0 0 1 3 0 2 0 0 3 
			 Hampshire n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 2 5 1 1 5 0 0 4 
			 Hertfordshire 1 0 0 2 0 1 n/a n/a 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 
			 Humberside 2 1 n/a 2 2 2 4 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 5 
			 Kent 0 0 9 3 0 3 2 1 4 1 0 10 1 1 2 
			 Lancashire 1 1 1 n/a n/a n/a 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 3 
			 Leicestershire 3 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 2 3 2 2 0 1 1 1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 1 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 5 0 6 9 0 5 
			 City of London 0 2 2 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 
			 Merseyside 1 2 1 0 4 7 1 3 9 0 0 5 2 1 6 
			 Metropolitan Police 23 20 27 21 22 12 25 25 28 12 23 27 9 18 71 
			 Norfolk 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 5 1 0 5 0 0 1 
			 Northamptonshire 2 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 7 3 1 3 3 2 1 
			 Northumbria 1 0 4 2 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 2 2 2 3 
			 North Wales 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 3 3 0 2 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 4 0 0 4 4 3 1 4 1 1 4 4 1 7 
			 South Wales 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 2 3 1 2 1 3 4 
			 South Yorkshire 1 0 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 3 3 2 3 
			 Staffordshire 3 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Surrey 3 0 1 n/a n/a n/a 3 0 4 6 1 3 4 2 5 
			 Sussex n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 0 0 3 1 3 
			 Thames Valley 2 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 4 2 0 6 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 
			 West Mercia 2 1 1 3 2 2 2 1 0 n/a n/a n/a 0 0 3 
			 West Midlands 13 3 0 10 2 1 4 2 8 3 4 8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Yorkshire 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 5 4 2 2 0 1 4 
			 Wiltshire 1 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 5 1 0 1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 (1) All data are unverified and are therefore provided on a provisional basis only. (2) Claims relating to more than one type of discrimination (e.g. sex and race) are included under 'other'. n/a = Data unavailable. 
		
	
	
		
			  Outcome of claims for sex discrimination( 1,)( )( 2) 
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset 
			 Bedfordshire 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 1 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 1 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Gwent 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Hampshire n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Humberside n/a n/a n/a 2 0 0 2 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 7 7 31 0 7 16 14 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Wales 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Surrey 0 0 2 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sussex n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 2 2 3 0 6 9 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2 005 -0 6  200 6 -0 7 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 4 7 3 
			 Bedfordshire 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 n/a n/a 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 1 1 5 6 0 2 5 11 
			 Norfolk 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 South Wales 0 0 9 0 0 0 4 1 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 1 
			 Sussex 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 1 2 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands 0 2 2 3 1 0 2 1 
			 West Yorkshire 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 5 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			  2007-08 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 1 0 1 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 1 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 1 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 0 2 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 2 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 2 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 1 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 0 6 2 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 1 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 n/a 1 1 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 1 1 
			 Staffordshire 1 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 1 1 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 1 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Outcome of claims for race discrimination( 1,)( )( 2) 
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cambridgeshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 London, City of 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 14 10 16 1 16 9 9 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 South Wales 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sussex n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 3 4 1 0 0 4 1 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2 005 -0 6  200 6 -0 7 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 London, City of 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 8 3 12 0 5 5 7 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	continued
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			  2007-08 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 1 0 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 1 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 1 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 2 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 0 1 6 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 1 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 South Wales 0 0 1 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 1 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 2 0 0 
			 Sussex 0 0 0 1 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Outcome of claims for other discrimination( 1,)( )( 2) 
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Cambridgeshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 1 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Cumbria 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1 0 1 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 8 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Hampshire n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 5 5 19 0 4 6 2 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 
			 Northumbria 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Wales 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sussex n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			   2 005 -0 6  200 6 -0 7 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn  No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Hampshire 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Hertfordshire 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 
			 Lancashire 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 8 2 0 0 1 3 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 4 5 9 1 5 10 5 
			 Norfolk 0 3 2 3 1 5 1 3 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 3 3 0 3 1 3 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 1 3 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Sussex 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 1 0 0 3 2 1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 7 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 
			 Wiltshire 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year to 31 March( 3) 
			  2007-08 
			   No. of awards made  No. of claims dismissed  No. of settlements made  No. of claims withdrawn 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 2 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 1 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 1 1 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 2 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 2 
			 Dorset n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 2 
			 Essex 0 0 0 1 
			 Gloucestershire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 7 0 6 0 
			 Gwent 0 1 1 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 1 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 1 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 3 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 1 1 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 1 0 0 0 
			 London, City of 0 0 2 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 2 4 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 5 15 26 
			 Norfolk 0 1 1 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 1 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 1 
			 Nottinghamshire n/a n/a 1 3 
			 South Wales 0 0 1 1 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 1 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 0 2 1 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 1 2 1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 1 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 1 0 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 2 
			 Wiltshire n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (1) All data are unverified and are therefore provided on a provisional basis only. (2) Claims relating to more than one type of discrimination (e.g. sex and race) are included under 'other discrimination'. (3) Date relates to when the awards were made ore claims were dismissed, settled or withdrawn, even though the original claim may originally have been made in an early year. n/a = Data unavailable.

Police: Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what roles are fulfilled by dogs in police forces.

Vernon Coaker: General purpose dogs are trained to deal with the location and recovery of stolen or lost property; the location and detention of offenders; the location of persons reported missing; the maintenance of public order, both in spontaneous outbreaks and pre-planned operations; and in high visibility patrols, both mobile and on foot to contribute to public reassurance.
	Firearms support dogs are trained to work in company with, and in support of, teams of armed officers.
	Pro-active drugs dogs are trained to search areas, buildings and vehicles to locate controlled drugs, and also firearms/component parts/ammunition and quantities of bank notes.
	Passive scanning drugs dogs are trained to scan the air around people to indicate the scent of controlled drugs.
	Pro-active scanning explosives dogs are trained to search areas, routes, buildings and vehicles to locate explosives.
	Passive scanning explosive dogs are trained to scan the air around people to indicate the scent of explosives.
	Crime scene investigation and victim recovery dogs are trained to search areas, buildings and vehicles to locate bodily fluids and human remains.

Police: Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs trained at the Metropolitan Police's Dog Training Establishment in Keston had been donated by the public in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 4 
			 2007 3 
			 2008 3 
			 2009 (1)0 
			 Total 17 
			 (1 )To date.

Police: Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new police dog units have been established in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: According to information from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), no new police dog units have been established in any of the last five years.

Police: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has allocated for promotion of and publicity for its policing pledge.

Phil Woolas: The total amount of money allocated to the promotion of and publicity for the policing pledge during the financial year 2008-09 is 3,427,521.
	This expenditure covers:
	Radio advertising
	National and regional press advertising
	Online advertising and online search marketing
	High street posters

Police: Greater Manchester

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will provide funding to the Greater Manchester Police Authority to pay for policing the new electronic border operations centre in Wythenshawe.

Phil Woolas: The National Border Targeting Centre (NBTC) is a multi agency centre staffed with UKBA and police officers which is scheduled to open in late 2009. It is operated by the UK Border Agency and managed by Trusted Borders, which is responsible for providing 24-hour security as part of the e-Borders service contract.
	The impact of the NBTC upon local policing resources is considered to be negligible. It is not expected that specific funding to the Greater Manchester Police Authority will be needed to pay for policing the new centre.

Police: Health

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1093W, on police: health, how many people took police fitness tests in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what results were  (a) achieved and  (b) achieved for dynamic strength and endurance in each year.

Jacqui Smith: The available data are given in the tables placed in the House Library.
	The Policing Green Paper announced that Sir David Normington, permanent secretary to the Home Office, would lead a review of the strategic data collection burden placed by the Home Office on police forces in England and Wales. Sir David's report was published on 16 February.
	Fitness tests data collection was one of the data streams cut. It was previously required by HMIC and recorded fitness test breakdown by gender, number of attempts, number taking the attempt and the fitness skill level tested. Given HMIC's new mission after the publication of the Policing Green Paper, this data is no longer required by them. Forces have been informed not to provide the data in the 2009-10 annual data requirement notice thereby removing the burden on police support staff to collate and supply the data to the Home Office.

Police: ICT

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many hand-held computers have been issued to police officers; and how many police forces have received funding for hand-held computers from her Department in the last two years;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1166W, on police: electronic equipment, what proportion of patrol officers have been issued with a hand-held device.

Jacqui Smith: All police forces in England, Scotland and Wales have received funding. A total of 31,607 hand held devices had been issued at 30 March 2009. All of the devices have been issued to officers performing front line roles, many of whom will be undertaking patrol duties. The operational duties of the officers receiving the devices are a matter for the chief officer of the force concerned.

Police: Marketing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 954-55W, on police: marketing, how many people had used the text back service on the date for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The text back service has received 2,250 texts since it began on 2 March 2009 up until 1 April 2009.

Police: Marketing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 954-55W, on police: marketing, how much her Department plans to spend on advertising and marketing the Policing Pledge in the financial year 2009-10.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office plans to spend 3 million on advertising and marketing the Policing Pledge in the financial year 2009-10. This campaign will increase awareness and understanding of the Policing Pledge. The public have a right to understand what service level they can expect from their local police and how to hold them to account if standards are not met.

Police: South West

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there were in Avon and Somerset in each year since 1988; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The available data are given in the tables.
	
		
			  Police officer strength (FTE)( 1)  by police force as at 31 March 1977 to 31 March 2008( 2) 
			  Avon and Somerset  FTE 
			 1988 3,013 
			 1989 3,014 
			 1990 3,094 
			 1991 3,092 
			 1992 3,081 
			 1993 3,068 
			 1994 3,033 
			 1995 3,000 
			 1996 2,981 
			 1997 2,989 
			 1998 2,976 
			 1999 2,999 
			 2000 2,934 
			 2001 2,994 
			 2002 3,096 
			 2003(3) 3,149 
			 2004(3) 3,401 
			 2005(3) 3,384 
			 2006(3) 3,389 
			 2007(3) 3,375 
			 2008(3) 3,339 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures) (2) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (3) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003. and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March  20 08( 3) 
			  Avon and Somerset police force  FTE 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 45 
			 2005(4) 139 
			 2006(4) 130 
			 2007(4) 302 
			 2008(4) 377 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent exclude those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03. (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table.

Police: Stun Guns

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) firearms officers and  (b) non-firearms officers she expects to have received training to use Taser guns in 2009.

Phil Woolas: Following the success of a 12-month trial in 10 police forces, the Home Secretary agreed on 24 November 2008 to allow chief officers of all forces in England and Wales, from 1 December 2008, to extend the use of Taser to specially trained units in accordance with current Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) policy and guidance. This sets out that Taser can only be used by specially trained units where officers would be facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves and/or the subject(s). The number of specially trained officers in each police force is a matter for individual chief officers based on their own operational requirements.

Prosecutions: Costs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate her Department has made of the average cost to a police force of  (a) issuing a caution,  (b) issuing a penalty notice for disorder and  (c) bringing charges.

Vernon Coaker: The amount of time spent by police officers on issuing a caution, issuing a penalty notice for disorder, or bringing charges is not collected centrally, and there are no general estimates of the average costs to police forces of undertaking these activities.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2479W, on the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre: Government Departments, for what reasons her Department paid for a room in the QE2 Conference Centre to hold its leadership away day; how much the booking cost; and why departmental buildings were not used for the away day.

Phil Woolas: The Government's London estate has limited conference facilities and so from time to time the Home Office and other Departments are required to hire external venues for events.
	We are not able to reveal the cost of the booking as this is a commercially sensitive issue between the Home Office and the QEII Centre.
	The QEII Centre is owned by the Crown (Department for Communities and Local Government).

Repatriation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many voluntary assisted returns to each country were made in co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of assisted voluntary returns run by the International Organisation for Migration in 2008, by country of destination.
	
		
			  Assisted voluntary returns from the United Kingdom, by country of destination, 2008( 1, 2) 
			  Number of departures 
			  Country of destination( 3)  Assisted voluntary returns( 4) 
			 Albania 100 
			 Macedonia * 
			 Moldova 15 
			 Russia 35 
			 Turkey 40 
			 Ukraine 30 
			 EU Accession States(5)  
			 Other Former USSR 45 
			 Other Europe 105 
			 Total Europe 365 
			   
			 Bolivia 70 
			 Brazil 485 
			 Canada 10 
			 Colombia 50 
			 Ecuador 25 
			 Jamaica 95 
			 Mexico 5 
			 USA 10 
			 Other Americas 45 
			 Total Americas 800 
			   
			 Algeria 35 
			 Angola 15 
			 Burundi * 
			 Cameroon 5 
			 Congo 5 
			 Dem. Rep. of Congo 20 
			 Eritrea * 
			 Ethiopia 20 
			 Gambia 5 
			 Ghana 55 
			 Ivory Coast 5 
			 Kenya 35 
			 Liberia 5 
			 Libya 15 
			 Mauritius 40 
			 Nigeria 105 
			 Rwanda 5 
			 Sierra Leone 20 
			 Somalia 5 
			 South Africa 130 
			 Sudan 25 
			 Tanzania 10 
			 Uganda 65 
			 Zimbabwe 170 
			 Other Africa 130 
			 Total Africa 935 
			   
			 Iran 235 
			 Iraq 430 
			 Syria 5 
			 Other Middle East 45 
			 Total Middle East 715 
			   
			 Afghanistan 350 
			 Australia 5 
			 Bangladesh 80 
			 China (including Taiwan) 265 
			 India 185 
			 Malaysia 25 
			 New Zealand * 
			 Pakistan 305 
			 Philippines 20 
			 South Korea * 
			 Sri Lanka 125 
			 Thailand 5 
			 Vietnam 40 
			 Other Asia and Oceania 70 
			 Total Asia and Oceania 1,480 
			   
			 Other and not known * 
			 Grand total 4,295 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ('' = 0, '*' = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Provisional figures. Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken. (3) Destination data as recorded on source database. (4) Persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Return and the Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. May include some on entry cases and some cases where enforcement action has been initiated. (5) EU Accession States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. 
		
	
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Research, Information and Communication Unit

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget of the Research, Information and Communication Unit  (a) has been in each year since it was established and  (b) is planned to be in each of the next three years.

Vernon Coaker: RICU costs were not separately identified until the 2008-09 financial year; formative team (salary) costs from June 2007 to March 2008 were counted against PREVENT. The RICU budget allocations for the CSR period are currently:
	
		
			   million 
			   2008-09  2009-10 
			 HO 0.66 1.2 
			 FCO 2.00 3.0 
			 CLG 1.00 1.5 
		
	
	In 2008-09 the FCO and CLG budget allocations were subsequently reduced in line with 2008-09 forecasts to 0.8 million and 0.7 million respectively; an outturn figure for 2008-09 is not yet available. Funding levels for 2010-11 have not yet been settled by FCO, HO and CLG. The current CSR period runs to 2010-11, funding for Departments outside this period has not been confirmed.

Salvia Divinorum

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the health effects of salvia divinorum; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will classify salvia divinorum as an illegal drug.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has recently written to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs requesting that it provide advice to Government on the availability and harms of psychoactive legal alternatives to illegal drugs, so called legal highs, with a particular focus on protecting young people. I fully anticipate that this work will include salvia divinorum. The Government's position on its control will be informed by Advisory Council's advice.

Sexual Offences

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) complaints and  (b) items of correspondence have been received by (i) her Department and (ii) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary on historical sex abuse investigations in the UK in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many  (a) complaints and  (b) items of correspondence (i) her Department and (ii) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has received in respect of historical investigations of allegations of sex abuse in each year since 2001.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Sir Fred Goodwin

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has specific arrangements to provide security at the home of Sir Fred Goodwin.

Phil Woolas: It is long established policy not to comment upon matters of personal protective security and their associated costs. Disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

Terrorism

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the breakdown is of the aggregated expenditure of 140 million allocated to the key deliverables of the Counter-Terrorism Programme 2008-09, as referred to on page 12 of the United Kingdom Strategy for Countering International Terrorism, Cm 7547.

Vernon Coaker: The United Kingdom Strategy for Countering International Terrorism contains several statements about funding. The 140 million referenced in the question relates to key deliverables for prevent 2008-09 managed by a number of Government Departments and bodies such as the police. Increasingly, spend by a much wider range of Departments, in particular the Home Office, cannot be broken down by activity without revealing sensitive information about our capabilities.

Terrorism: Ashford

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with  (a) businesses and  (b) community representatives in Ashford on Operation Argus.

Vernon Coaker: A Project Argus event for members of the retail community in Ashford, which included local authority and emergency services representatives, was held on 12 February 2008. In addition, local police counter-terrorism security advisers have delivered counter-terrorist protective security advice to 13 businesses in Ashford during the last 18 months.
	Discussions are taking place with business and community representatives to hold a Project Argus night time economy event in May this year.

Terrorism: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to counter terrorist activity in Coventry.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have recently refreshed CONTEST, its counter-terrorism strategy, which has four strands: Pursue, Prepare, Protect and Prevent. The following work is being taken forward by local partners in Coventry with the support of national agencies:
	 Prevent
	I understand that a Prevent Working Group has been developed in Coventry, made up of senior representatives from the police, council, universities, colleges and other public agencies, which will meet for the first time this month.
	Coventry has recently developed a communications strategy to help mainstream messages to counter extremism. The local authority is also currently developing a programme of activities for young people from diverse communities, which explores issues of identity, challenging extremist ideology, and provides support to the most vulnerable.
	 Prepare
	Prepare activity in Coventry is driven through the well established partnership of the Coventry Local Resilience Forum. This group is responsible for the development of the Local Community Risk Register which works to mitigate risks and threats within the area through prioritising planning, training and exercising activities.
	 Protect
	Through NaCTSO (the National Counter Terrorism Security Office) and Project ARGUS we have provided advice and an awareness-raising programme to staff in all the main five shopping areas in Coventry (West Orchards, Cathedral Lane, Cross point, Lower Precinct and Tesco Arena), theatres and cinemas, the Transport Museum, Coventry FC and delegates from the night-time economy. For more information on NaCTSO and Project ARGUS visit
	http://www.nactso.gov.uk/
	There are two planned Project Griffin events at Warwick University on 7 May 2009 and 28 May 2009. Project Griffin is a police initiative bringing together and coordinating the resources of the police, emergency services, local authorities, business and the private sector security industry. For more information on Project Griffin visit
	http://www.projectgriffin.org.uk/
	More generally at all UK airports we are strengthening the arrangements for security planning, with clear proposals set out in the Policing and Crime Bill.
	The key stakeholders at Coventry and other airports will have statutory responsibility for carrying out a joint threat and risk assessment and for preparing a comprehensive security plan setting out the actions being taken to address the risks at their airport. The costs of the police resources identified in that plan would then feature in a separate agreement about reimbursement between the operator, police force and the police authority.

Terrorism: Deportation

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been deported to  (a) Jordan,  (b) Libya and  (c) Lebanon on national security grounds since July 2008.

Vernon Coaker: No one has been deported to the countries concerned on national security grounds since July 2008.

Theft

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of  (a) shoplifting,  (b) robbery of business property and  (c) theft by an employee were recorded by police in the quarter October to December in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: Quarterly information for the requested offences is only available from 2001-02 onwards and the available data for the October to December quarters are given in the table. Statistics for October to December 2008 will be available following the publication of the quarterly update on 23 April 2009.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in England and Wales 
			  Number of offences 
			  October to December each year  Shoplifting  Robbery of business property  Theft by an employee 
			 2001 77,536 3,653 4,414 
			 2002(1) 74,302 2,852 4,454 
			 2003 73,998 2,873 4,481 
			 2004 70,763 2,226 4,541 
			 2005 74,970 2,437 4,377 
			 2006 75,500 2,723 4,119 
			 2007 70,196 2,518 4,102 
			 (1) Includes British Transport Police from this quarter onwards.

UK Border Agency: Finance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget for the Advisory Panel on Country Information of the UK Border Agency and its predecessor was in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office met all costs for running the Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) until the function was transferred to the new independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency in April 2008. The Chair and members of the APCI were unpaid and expenditure was limited to research costs for evaluating Home Office country information material, recruitment of members and the expenses associated with meetings. These were approximately as follows for the years 2005 to 2008:
	
		
			  APCI Expenditure 2005-2008 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Research 48,170 46,040 14,500 
			 Meetings 1,120 3,360 760 
			 Members' expenses (estimate) 2,000 3,200 1,200 
			 Recruitment 3,100 4,360  
			 Total 54,390 56,960 16,460 
			  Notes: 1. Costs exclude VAT 2. Figures rounded to nearest 10

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on frontline border staff in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The latest financial year for which accounts are available is 2007-08. Border Control was the operational directorate which included all frontline border staff in that year, and its pay costs were 161.2 million.
	It is not possible to breakdown those costs into frontline operational staff and support staff.

Vetting

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken by each police force was to respond to inquiries from the Criminal Records Bureau as part of routine disclosures in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: Data concerning the average time taken to complete a disclosure by police force area are not collated by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

Vetting

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau in each police force area had comments from chief police officers on otherwise clean reports in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not collate data on the number of disclosures which contain comments from chief police officers but which do not contain any data from the Police National Computer (PNC), Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) or Department of Health (DOH).

Vetting: Maladministration

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many of those incorrectly designated as having a criminal conviction by the Criminal Records Bureau since the bureau's inception are aged  (a) under 18,  (b) 19 to 25,  (c) 26 to 40,  (d) 41 to 60,  (e) 60 to 65 and  (f) 65 years and over;
	(2)  how many of those incorrectly designated as having a criminal conviction by the Criminal Records Bureau since the Bureau's inception are  (a) male and  (b) female.

Vernon Coaker: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has issued over 18 million disclosures since its inception in 2002. The following table represents the number of disclosures issued to applicants that had been matched to a record held on the Police National Computer (PNC) which had been challenged and subsequently upheld, broken down by age groups and gender.
	
		
			   Gender  
			  Age group  Male  Female  Total 
			 Under 18 14 29 43 
			 18 to 25 367 294 661 
			 26 to 40 1,223 663 1,886 
			 41 to 60 905 489 1,394 
			 61 to 65 62 17 79 
			 Over 65 60 18 78 
			 Total 2,631 1,510 4,141

Vetting: Standards

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time was for each police force to release  (a) a standard disclosure and  (b) an enhanced disclosure as part of Criminal Records Bureau checks in the latest period for which information is available.

Shahid Malik: Only enhanced disclosures are sent to police forces as part of the Disclosure Service. Data concerning the average time taken to complete a disclosure by police force area are not a performance target and are not collated by the CRB. Comparative police force performance data can be found on the CRB website at
	www.crb.gov.uk
	Average figures do not give an accurate indication of performance, since any force's performance can be affected by a number of factors; the volume of cases sent to a force to process in any given month, the number of staff available to process the checks and the IT resources on hand to forces. With these variables, performance can fluctuate within individual forces from one month to the next.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer Question 250112, on Operation Pentameter, tabled by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) on 19 January 2009.

Jacqui Smith: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary (Mr. Campbell) replied on 26 March 2009,  Official Report, column 650W.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been allocated to each school under the Building Schools for the Future programme to date.

Jim Knight: In Building Schools for the Future, funding is allocated to local authorities and not directly to schools. Local authorities take decisions on how to allocate this funding to their schools in accordance with local need. The following table shows the funding which has been allocated to authorities which have reached financial close in their BSF projects.
	
		
			  Funding 
			  000 
			  Local authority project  Conventional  PFI credits  Total 
			 Bristol ph 1 (Wave 1) 7,598 157,173 164,771 
			 Manchester 201,644 0 201,644 
			 Greenwich 57,226 183,510 240,736 
			 Bradford ph 1 (Wave 1) 9,461 111,904 121,365 
			 Lancashire ph 1 4,183 94,812 98,995 
			 Lambeth 87,123 0 87,123 
			 Leeds ph 1 37,877 143,500 181,377 
			 Solihull 29,536 86,790 116,326 
			 Newcastle ph 1 36,856 51,706 88,562 
			 Sheffield ph 1 (Wave 1) 22,721 88,999 111,720 
			 Waltham Forest ph 1 38,321 29,078 67,399 
			 Knowsley 3,508 249,984 253,492 
			 Lancashire ph2a 3,098 75,049 78,147 
			 Leicester ph 1 33,977 63,233 97,210 
			 Lewisham ph 1 (Wave 1) 17,793 118,968 136,761 
			 STaG phl 14,042 31,504 45,546 
			 Leeds ph2 48,688 42,243 90,931 
			 Sunderland ph 1 60,193 0 60,193 
			 Westminster ph 1 71,892 0 71,892 
			 Nottingham 146,325 75,913 222,238 
			 Lancashire ph2b 1,679 45,461 47,140 
			 Islington ph 1 40,051 64,460 104,511 
			 Kent ph 1 130,698 98,840 229,538 
			 Liverpool 17,747 0 17,747 
			 Hackney 63,062 0 63,062 
			 Middlesbrough 44,340 0 63,062 
			 Newham 35,002 66,484 101,486 
			 Tower Hamlets 50,640 0 50,640 
			 Tameside 40,371 49,706 90,077 
			 Haringey 64,770 0 64,770 
			 Total closed phasesas at 31 March 2009 1,420,422 1,929,317 3,349,739

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of expenditure on the Building Schools for the Future programme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the latest estimate of expenditure on the Building Schools for the Future programme. These estimates may change as projects progress through the procurement phase and into construction.
	
		
			   billion 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Capital grant 0.7 2.0 2.3 
			  Notes: 1. These figures include estimated expenditure on academies delivered through the Partnerships for Schools national framework. 2. Capital grant payments are made following the financial close of the project in accordance with construction payment milestones. 
		
	
	In addition, we expect to allocate 3.9 billion PFI credits to projects in this period. Credits are allocated following approval of the project's outline business case, but the revenue payments to local authorities to which they relate are not made until the new school building is completed.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which banks are involved in the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: The following list sets out (i) financial institutions that are involved in BSF schemes that have already reached financial close; and (ii) financial institutions who are in the market to finance BSF schemes that have not yet reached financial close.
	 Funding to BSF schemes that have reached financial close:
	Bank of Ireland
	Barclays
	BNP Paribas
	European Investment Bank
	HBOS
	Abbey National
	HSBC
	NIB Bank
	Royal Bank of Canada
	SMBC
	Depfa
	 In the market to fund BSF schemes that have not yet reached financial close:
	Nationwide
	SMBC
	Barclays
	National Australia Bank
	European Investment Bank
	Aviva
	Co-op
	Helaba Landesbank
	Lloyds
	Norddeutsche Landesbank
	RBS
	Santander
	NIB Bank
	Westdeutsche Landesbank
	Deutsche Postbank

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities he expects to join the Building Schools for the Future programme after 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: On 2 March 2009, the indicative revised prioritisation of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was published, based on the revised expressions of interest which authorities provided in November 2008. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) the body which assists local authorities procure their BSF investment, is already engaging with authorities to discuss their readiness to deliver. No project will formally enter BSF until PfS is satisfied that there is robust evidence that the authority is ready to deliver. It has therefore not yet been decided which will be the next authorities to enter the programme after 2010-11.

Children: Autism

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average age at which a child receives a diagnosis of autism was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally.
	In 2001, the Medical Research Council (MRC) undertook the first comprehensive review of the UK research into autism, called the MRC Review of Autism Research and is still considered to be a leading source of information about the causes and epidemiology of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
	The review report states at page 15:
	In a study of individuals aged 2 to over 40 years, the average age of diagnosis was 5 years for autism.

Children: Databases

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have made representations to his Department on the shielding of data on the ContactPoint database; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We have been working closely with all local authorities to ensure those records which need it are appropriately shielded. All local authorities have been regularly reporting progress and notifying us of any data issues they have encountered, during this pre-deployment phase, as we requested. As of 24 March, 13 local authorities have provided additional written feedback so far via letters or e-mails.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  for what reasons ContactPoint data will be kept for six years after a person reaches the age of 18 years;
	(2)  what method will be used permanently to delete a person's records from ContactPoint;
	(3)  how long on average he expects to elapse between the death of a young person and the removal of their data record from the ContactPoint database.

Beverley Hughes: Six years is the accepted standard for retention of information in accordance with the provisions of the Limitations Act 1980. Once a person reaches age 18 their ContactPoint record will be moved into archive. Once in archive, the record will only be accessible by data managers for a period of one year. After that it is only accessible by our system suppliers in order to support investigations under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, any serious case review or investigation into a child death.
	Once a record reaches the end of its archive period, an automatic batch process (purge) permanently deletes it from ContactPoint.
	On receipt of notification of death of a child, ContactPoint retains the child record for one year before it is moved to the archive.

Children: Databases

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the expenditure which will be incurred as a result of the  (a) delay in introducing ContactPoint and  (b) the changes to data entry and shielding in the ContactPoint system.

Beverley Hughes: The ContactPoint budget includes an appropriate contingency element and any additional costs that arise from developments made to the system will be met from those contingency arrangements. It has always been anticipated that this would be the case. We do not anticipate the overall costs for implementing ContactPoint exceeding the original estimate of 224 million.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1336W, on children: databases, which companies bid for his Department's ContactPoint contract.

Beverley Hughes: In answer to the question I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1336W.

Children: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress he has made on the proposal for an e-safety week announced in the Byron Review Action Plan; and when he expects it to take place.

Beverley Hughes: The Byron Review Action Plan announced that the UK council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) would work with the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and other council members to launch an e-safety week in 2009.
	This year UKCCIS supported a Safer Internet Week (9 to 13 February) by assisting CEOP to run national newspaper advertisements throughout the week and circulating information to council members and interested parties, specifically promoting Safer Internet Day 2009 on 10 February.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects Ofsted next to report on lessons learnt from serious case reviews.

Beverley Hughes: Lord Laming's report 'The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report' was published on 12 March. The Government announced, on the same day, that all of the recommendations had been accepted, and undertook to provide a detailed response to all 58 recommendations by the end of April.
	Recommendation 49 of the report said:
	'Ofsted should produce more regular reports, at six monthly intervals, which summarise the lessons from Serious Case Reviews'.
	Ofsted will also be responding to this and other relevant recommendations by the end of April.
	Ofsted has commenced the planning for its second report on the outcomes of its evaluations on serious case reviews. However, the report by Lord Laming recommended that Ofsted produce reports at six monthly intervals and they will consider whether they need to bring the next evaluation forward in the light of this.
	The Government already commission biennial overviews of Serious Case Reviews to draw out their key findings and identify their implications for policy and practice.

Children: Protection

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to publish the assessment of the impact of the commercial world on children's wellbeing referred to in the Byron Review Action Plan.

Beverley Hughes: The assessment in to the impact of the commercial world was launched on the 7 April 2008. It is being led by Professor David Buckingham from the Institute of Education. The work has involved stakeholders from many sectors including education, business and NGOs. The assessment is nearing completion but there is as yet no firm publication date.

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to page 60 of The Protection of Children in England: a progress report, HC330, what recent estimate he has made of the number of police officers with the specialist training necessary to work on child protection available to each local authority.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	Data in relation to the number of police officers specially trained in child protection available to each local authority are not held centrally.
	The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families intends to publish a detailed action plan in response to Lord Laming's recommendations by the end of April.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what properties his  (a) Department and  (b) Department's (i) executive and (ii) non-departmental public bodies have sold in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been sold for housing development.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following properties have been sold in the last five years:
	 (a) In 2004 the Department for Children, Schools and Families sold Letchworth Skillcentre in Hertfordshire and in 2008 it sold Middlesbrough Skillcentre Annex and Wales Bar in Rotherham. None of these sales was for housing development.
	 (b) The Department has no agencies.
	 (c) In 2006 The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) sold a property in Preston, Lancashire to a developer, although the property did not have a residential planning permission.
	In 2004 the Children and Families Courts Advisory Service (CAFCASS) sold 5 Upper Park Road, Bromley, Kent.
	In 2005 it sold 65 Alma Road, Windsor, Berkshire.
	In 2006 it sold Darwen Health Centre, Blackburn, Lancashire and 90 Finkle Street, Cottingham, Yorkshire.
	In 2007 it sold a property in Dudley in the West Midlands.
	None of these sales were for housing development.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on sickness absence in the Department can be found on the DCSF website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/sicknessabsence/

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress his Department has made towards its target for energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has a target to reduce its energy consumption to 283.9 kWh per square metre by 2011/12.
	The returns for the 2007-08 Sustainable Operation of the Government Estate (SOGE) showed that the DCSF estate consumed 325 kWh of energy per square metre. The full report can be found under the following link at:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2008/
	This has reduced from 334 kWh/m2 in the baseline year 1999/2000.

Departmental Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been allocated by his Department to each of its capital funding programmes, excluding the Building Schools for the Future programme, for 2010-11.

Jim Knight: The Department's 2010-11 capital Estimate, excluding the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, after the Spring Supplementary exercise are detailed by function in the following table.
	
		
			  Capital Budget 
			   million 
			   2010-11  e stimate 
			 Devolved Programmes 2,550 
			 Targeted Programmes 980 
			 Strategic Primary Capital (excl. BSF  Academies) 850 
			 Less: Schools Fiscal Stimulus transferred to 2009-10(1) -770 
			 Schools Sixth Form (via Learning and Skills Council) 100 
			 Learning and Skills Council 14-19 Capital 140 
			 Young People Capital 27 
			 Children and Families Capital 20 
			 Improving Information Sharing and Management 35 
			 Sure Start 315 
			 Activities to support all functions 146 
			 Other Capital 12 
			   
			 Total (excludes PFI credits) 4,381 
			 (1) An additional 124 million has been provisionally approved by HMT to be transferred from 2010-11 to 2009-10 which will not be reflected in the Department's Main Estimate. Following the approval of the Winter Supplementary Estimate later in the 2009 calendar year, will see figures adjusted accordingly. A further small transfer will be requested, reflecting late applications from local authorities for accelerated funding.

Departmental Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the  (a) production and printing and  (b) other costs to his Department of producing its most recent (i) departmental annual report and (ii) autumn performance report.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The cost of production and printing for the Departmental Report and the Autumn Performance Report was 24,875 and 24,238.69 respectively.
	Other costs relating to the reports can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided the training.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the ministerial code.

Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent establishing local education partnerships to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department provides funding support of 0.5 million to each local authority for local education partnership (LEP) establishment costs. The Department has incurred 9 million for the 18 LEPs currently established.

Education Act 2002

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many notifications under the Education Act 2002 his Department and its predecessor  (a) received from (i) independent schools and (ii) grant maintained schools and  (b) sent to the schools inspectorate in each case in each year since April 2005.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 27 March 2009
	The number of notifications sent to schools inspectorates since April 2005 is 87. These relate to individuals who resigned or were dismissed from independent schools because they were considered unsuitable to work with children. Details are given in the following table. The hon. Member will recall from previous answers that in the case of maintained schools, Ofsted can approach the local authority concerned in respect of notifications from its schools.
	
		
			  Referrals to  I nspectorates 
			  Inspectorate  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  Total 
			 ISI 5 27 17 16 1 66 
			 Ofsted 2 4 7 7 1 21 
			 CSCI(1) 2 4 1 0 0 7 
			 (1) The seven referrals made to the former Commission for Social Care Inspection (now Ofsted) were also referred to the relevant education inspectorate and are thus included in the totals for ISI and Ofsted above 
		
	
	Under the new vetting and barring scheme a supervisory authority such as Ofsted will be required to inform the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) if it has information that a person poses a risk of harm. In return, the ISA must inform them when it bars someone who is supervised or registered by them.
	Where employers (including independent schools) in the education sector have ceased to use the services of a person because they consider that person is unsuitable to work with children, or they would have ceased to use the person's services where the person has left their employment, they are required to refer information to the Department or, from 20 January 2009, the ISA. In addition, the police also refer cautions and convictions, including for those who have been working in educational establishments in accordance with Home Office Circular 6/2006 (The Notifiable Occupations Scheme).
	Identifying how many referrals and letters of notification were received from maintained schools would require detailed checks to be made of individual case records and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of students eligible to receive the education maintenance allowance who have waited  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) five months or more to receive a payment since September 2008;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of students who have experienced a delay in the payment of education maintenance allowance since September 2008.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Geoffrey Russell the LSC's Acting Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education: Assessments

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of pupils who achieved level five in English, science and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in 2001 who achieved three or more A grades at A level in 2008.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 March 2009
	The most readily available analysis is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pupils who achieved three A grades at A level in 2008 
			   Number 
			 Achieved level 5 or more in all three KS2 tests 17,965 
			 Took KS2 tests but did not receive level 5 in all three 7,213 
			 Other 163 
			 Prior attainment not available 6,038 
			 Total 31,379 
			  Notes: 1.Figures relate to 16-18 year olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August 2007) in all schools in England. Figures relate to achievements in GCENCE/Applied A level/Double Awards. 2. Not all of these pupils will have taken their Key Stage 2 tests in 2001. Pupils who took their KS2 tests in 2001 and achieved at least 3 As in their A levels in a year other than 2008 are not included. 3. 'Other' includes pupils working below the level of the test and those absent or with missing results. Some pupils have no prior attainment available (for example pupils who took their KS2 tests in Scotland or Wales). So urce:  National Pupil Database

Education: Ethnic Groups

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in how many secondary schools the majority of registered students are black, Asian or other minority ethnic in  (a) England,  (b) Leicestershire and  (c) Leicester East constituency;
	(2)  in how many primary schools the majority of registered students are black, Asian or other minority ethnic in  (a) England,  (b) Leicestershire and  (c) Leicester East constituency.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the tables:
	
		
			  Maintained primary( 1)  and state-funded secondary schools( 1,2) : number of schools with the majority of pupils classified as minority ethnic: As at January 2008In England, Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland Local Authorities and Leicester East parliamentary constituency 
			   All Schools 
			   England  Leicester LA  Leicester city LA  Rutland LA  All Leicestershire  Leicester East Parliamentary constituency 
			 Primary Schools 17,205 225 81 17 323 30 
			 Secondary Schools 3,383 54 18 3 75 6 
		
	
	
		
			   Schools where majority of pupils are minority ethnic( 3) 
			   England( 4)  Leicestershire LA  Leicester city LA  Rutland LA  All Leicestershire  Leicester East Parliamentary constituency 
			 Primary Schools 2,122 6 43 0 49 23 
			 Secondary Schools 440 2 10 0 12 4 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) Where more than 50 per cent. of pupils of compulsory school age and above are classified as other than White British or Unclassified. (4) Five primary schools and one secondary school did not return ethnicity data.  Source:  School Census

Education: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been  (a) spent on and  (b) allocated to (i) the Building Schools for the Future programme, (ii) the primary capital programme, (iii) the academy capital programme and (iv) other national capital programmes in each local authority area; and on what date each such allocation was made.

Jim Knight: The Department's programme capital Estimates (as approved by Parliament) for the relevant programmes along with forecast spend for 2008-09 are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Capital Budget 
			   million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			   Forecast spend  Estimate  Estimate 
			 Building Schools for the Future and Academies 1,100 1,640 2,447 
			 Primary Capital Programme (excluding PFI credits) 143 745 850 
			 Other Schools Capital Programmes 3,541 3,995 2,760 
			 Non Schools Capital Programmes 753 794 771 
			 
			 Total 5,537 7,174 6,828 
		
	
	The Academies programme is increasingly being delivered through the Building Schools for the Future Framework, and is therefore included as one figure.
	The above takes into account 800 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 as part of the fiscal stimulus. In addition, HMT has also agreed for a further 124 million to be brought forward which will be reflected in the Estimates in due course.
	In addition to the above, 3.9 billion of PFI credits are available for allocation over the CSR period. The figures also do not include any End of Year Flexibility amounts which may be approved by HMT during future years. If approved, the above Estimate figures are likely to increase accordingly.
	Funding is allocated on different dates depending on the nature of each programme. An analysis of this, also a split by local authority, cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Education: Hearing Impaired

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to ensure that Ofsted inspections of educational provision for deaf children are carried out by inspectors who  (a) have adequate levels of training and expertise in (i) education for the deaf and (ii) communication with deaf children and  (b) are accompanied by a skilled interpreter.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 2 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted recognises that inspecting provision and outcomes for deaf or hearing impaired pupils requires particular specialist knowledge and skills with regard to issues such as language development, communication methods, and acoustic conditions.
	You asked how Ofsted ensured that its inspectors had adequate levels of training and expertise in education for the deaf and communication with deaf children. Ofsted has a small core team of four Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) who are specialists in the inspection of sensory impairment who are routinely deployed in the inspection of schools for deaf and hearing impaired pupils. Ofsted also requires our contracted Regional Inspection Service Providers to provide inspectors who are suitable for each individual inspection. Every effort is made to inspect special schools with inspectors who have expertise in that particular field. Where there is specific provision for pupils with SEN in mainstream schools, then every effort is made to provide the inspection team with an inspector with expertise in the particular field of SEN provided by the school. Training on inspecting special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools, special schools and pupil referral units was provided for HMI and Additional Inspectors (AI) during 2008, and is being updated for the coming year. All inspectors have access to extensive guidance available to support this area of work.
	In February 2009, Ofsted announced that it has agreed three new contracts with contractors for the provision of inspection from September 2009. These contracts will cover all the inspection remits in schools and colleges, apprenticeships, adult skills and initial teacher education. The procurement process for the new contracts has provided the opportunity for Ofsted to renew the commitment of its contractors to deploy appropriately skilled and specialist additional inspectors for each school's context, including those with deaf children.
	Ofsted is also working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure the availability to inspectors of better performance data for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including children who are deaf and/or hearing impaired. In particular, we are seeking to provide performance data for individual pupils who have specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities, in order to measure more rigorously their progress and achievement.
	You also asked whether inspectors are accompanied by a skilled interpreter. It is necessary for inspectors to be able to communicate effectively with deaf and hearing impaired pupils: this may require competence in British Sign Language or other methods of communication, or use of a skilled interpreter. Ofsted is reviewing these requirements for the new inspection arrangements for September, including the requirement to have an interpreter on inspection.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Extracurricular Activities

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained secondary schools provide after-school, small group tuition in specific subject areas.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We do not collect information centrally on the number of secondary schools offering after-school, small group tuition in specific subject areas.

Further Education: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what change in allocations for 16 to 18 year learners there was between the provisional and final funding figures sent to schools and colleges;
	(2)  whether the final 16 to 18 learner funding allocations cover  (a) all students enrolled in schools and sixth form colleges and  (b) all students predicted to enrol for the 2009-10 academic year;
	(3)  when the Learning and Skills Council notified schools and colleges of their provisional 16 to 18 learner funding allocation.

Jim Knight: We are planning record investment of over 6.7 billion in education for 16 to 18-year-olds from September this year. That means there is funding for over 1.5 million young people to study, the most 16 to 18-year-olds that have ever been in education in this country.
	As part of the Department's wider discussions in the National Economic Council on what more we can do to support the economy, we are working across Government on the extra financial support we need to provide for the new learners that are coming forward.
	The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) letter of 31 March said that we continue to consider options for further funding, including meeting emerging pressures from the impact of the recession and recruitment during the year.
	The LSC will be writing again to schools and colleges by the end of April.

Further Education: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons the final 16 to 18 learner funding allocation issued to schools and colleges varied from the provisional allocation issued in early March.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the press statement of 3 April 2009, which is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0068

GCE A-Level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils took A levels in two or more of  (a) accounting,  (b) art and design,  (c) business studies,  (d) communication studies,  (e) dance,  (f) design and technology,  (g) drama and theatre studies,  (h) film studies,  (i) health and social care,  (j) home economics,  (k) information and communication technology,  (l) leisure studies,  (m) media studies,  (n) music technology,  (o) performance studies,  (p) performing arts,  (q) photography,  (r) physical education,  (s) sports studies and  (t) travel and tourism in (i) maintained schools and (ii) independent schools in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 23 February 2009
	26,483 pupils(1) in maintained schools(2) were entered for two or more GCSE/Applied A-levels in the listed subjects in 2007/08. The equivalent number in independent schools was 3,283.
	(1) Pupils aged 16-18 at the start of the academic year.
	(2) The figure for maintained schools does not include further education colleges.

GCSE: Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in the secure estate sat GCSE examinations in 2008.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of GCSEs sat for young people in custody are not collected centrally. However, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) collects monthly data on learning for young people in Prison Service Young Offender Institutions. These data show that during the 2008 academic year, for young people under the age of 18, there were 106 GCSE achievements between grades A and C, and 159 GCSE achievements below grade C. However, these figures do not reflect all of the GCSEs achieved in juvenile custody because this does not include young people in Secure Children's Homes, Secure Training Centres, or private prisons. Also some of the young people in Young Offender Institutions are still registered at schools and colleges and therefore any GCSEs that they achieve whilst in custody will be reflected in achievement figures of schools and colleges, rather than the figures reported by the LSC for those achieved in custody.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 489W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, if he will provide an itemised breakdown of the estimated cost of providing the requested information in full.

Jim Knight: In the reply to PQ 231974, the estimated costs of providing the information requested in PQs 224479 and 224500 were 1,300 and 900 respectively.
	Following a detailed analysis of the processes involved in answering these questions we are able to provide the itemised breakdowns as follows:
	 To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, at how many co mprehensive schools 50 per cent. or more pupils achieved a modern languages GCSE at A*-C in each year since 1997. (224479)
	
		
			   Hours required  Cost to Department 
			  Planning 9 225 
			 Implementing production rules 1 25 
			 Writing syntax 8 200 
			
			  Producing figures (11 years) 50.16 1,254 
			
			  Producing figures (one year) 4.56 114 
			 Run the required filters (including maintained only sector) 0.32 8 
			 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 
			 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to school level 0.2 5 
			 Merge to school file 0.2 5 
			 Analysis of output (e.g. remove independent schools, remove schools with 10 pupils, count how many with 50 per cent. MFL, etc.) 3 75 
			
			  Additional work 1.5 37.5 
			 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 0.25 6.25 
			 Personal QAing 1 25 
			 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 
			
			  QAing 3.5 87.5 
			
			  Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 
			
			  Signing off at SCS level 1 25 
			
			  Total 66.16 1,704 
		
	
	 To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of pupils in the maintained mainstream sector achieved five GCSEs including a modern language at A* to C grades in each year since 1997. (224500)
	
		
			   Hours required  Cost to Department 
			  Planning 9 225 
			 Implementing production rules 1 25 
			 Writing syntax 8 200 
			
			  Producing figures (11 years) 16.28 407 
			
			  Producing figures (one year) 1.48 37 
			 Run the required filters (including maintained only sector) 0.32 8 
			 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 
			 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 
			 Analysis of output (count number of pupils with 5 A*-C including MFL) 0.32 8 
			
			  Additional work 1.5 37.5 
			 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 0.25 6.25 
			 Personal QAing 1 25 
			 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 
			
			  QAing 3.5 87.5 
			
			  Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 
			
			  Signing off at SCS level 1 25 
			
			  Total 32.28 857

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 845W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing all the information requested; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure would be incurred.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The estimated cost to the Department of providing all the information requested is 850. These are salary costs.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of those pupils taking the further mathematics GCSE were at  (a) comprehensive,  (b) independent and  (c) grammar schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Further mathematics is a subject that is not available at GCSE or equivalent. Further mathematics is first available as an AS-level subject.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families of those who achieved  (a) A* and A and  (b) A* to C grades at GCSE in (i) physics, (ii) biology, (iii) chemistry and (iv) further mathematics, what percentage were studying at (A) comprehensive, (B) independent and (C) grammar schools in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The tables show the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving  (a) an A* or A grade at GCSE and  (b) an A* to C grade at GCSE in each subject in the last five years. Also shown are the percentages of these pupils who studied at comprehensive, independent and grammar schools and are placed in the House Libraries. These figures are not included for further mathematics, as this is not available at GCSE level.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 17 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 1854-55W, on educational attainment, how many and what proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 attending  (a) maintained secondary schools and  (b) independent secondary schools achieved each grade in GCSE for (i) geography, (ii) history, (iii) a modern foreign language, (iv) English and (v) mathematics in each year since 1998.

Jim Knight: Tables showing the number and proportion of GCSE entries by grade and subject for pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending maintained and independent secondary schools from 2005-08 have been placed in the House Libraries. All GCSE attempts (including multiple attempts within each subject group) have been counted.
	Figures prior to 2005 can not be provided on a comparable basis.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1502-3W, on schools: assessments, which of the schools that entered no pupils for a GCSE in history or geography also entered no pupils for a GCSE in humanities.

Jim Knight: The information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Schools that entered no pupils for a GCSE in history or geography and also no pupils for a GCSE in humanities 
			  School code  Institution name  Local authority 
			 3096905 Greig City Academy Haringey 
			 3125406 Rosedale College Hillingdon 
			 3304611 St. Alban's CE Specialist Engineering College Birmingham 
			 3706905 The Barnsley Academy Barnsley 
			 8134075 Brumby Engineering College North Lincolnshire 
			 8564005 New College Leicester Leicester City 
			 8866906 The Marlowe Academy Kent 
			 9255422 St. Hugh's C of E Mathematics and Computing College Lincolnshire 
			 9354600 St. Benedict's Catholic School Suffolk

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students took both English language and English literature GCSE in  (a) independent and  (b) maintained schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The numbers of pupils attempting both English language and English literature GCSE in maintained and independent schools for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Maintained schools  Independent schools 
			 2007/08 471,943 38,685 
			 2006/07 481,904 39,704 
			 2005/06 486,514 39,944 
			 2004/05 485,569 38,495 
			 2003/04 491,666 37,011 
			  Notes: 1. Figures relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 except in 2003/04 for which the figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 2. Figures include attempts by these pupils in previous academic years. Only one attempt is counted per pupil. 3. The figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data.

Gifted Children

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on the Young, Gifted and Talented programme in each local authority area in each year since its introduction; and for what purposes such expenditure has been incurred.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There is no ring fenced funding for gifted and talented education in local authorities or schools, so this information is not available.

Gifted Children: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils in West Chelmsford constituency have been identified as gifted and talented.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Through the School Census schools are asked to confirm the number of gifted and talented pupils they have identified. According to the summer 2008 Census 848 (10.7 per cent.) of pupils in maintained primary schools and 1,091 (12.8 per cent.) of pupils in maintained secondary schools were identified as gifted and talented in the West Chelmsford constituency.

Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of schools with a specialism in modern foreign languages entered all pupils for a modern language GCSE in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Of all schools with a specialism in languages, 15 (4.3 per cent.) entered their entire cohort at the end of KS4 for assessment in a modern foreign language at GCSE or equivalent in 2008.

Learning Mentors

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils of each age have been assigned a mentor in the last 12 months; and what percentage of mentors are from local businesses.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not held centrally.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to reply to the letter of 28 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Dr. G. Bailey of Yate, on Government support for childcare provision.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has no record of receiving the letter of 28 January from the hon. Member. If the hon. Member can forward a copy of the letter to the Department a reply will be sent within the agreed Whitehall standard.

National Assessment Agency

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what meetings took place between the Minister for Schools and officials at the National Assessment Agency during 2008. [Official Report, 4 June 2009, Vol. 493, c. 5MC.]

Jim Knight: I met with David Gee, managing director of the then National Assessment Agency (NAA), on 17 June and with David Gee and Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), on 2 July. I also met with Ken Boston on 3 July. These meetings related to the delivery of national curriculum tests in 2008. As set out in Lord Sutherland's report there were regular meetings between senior officials in the Department, QCA and NAA, as part of the governance arrangements explained in the report to monitor QCA's delivery of its remit.
	I also met with officials from QCA on 6 February, 18 March, 6 August, 14 August and 15 September to discuss matters relating to QCA's wider agenda.

National Curriculum Tests

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in maintained schools obtained level 9 or above in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English and  (c) science at Key Stage 3 in the latest year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Key Stage 3 attainment at National Curriculum level 9 has not been assessed through national tests since 1995.

Ofsted

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 221-2W on local government: disclosure of information, how many people have contacted Ofsted's National Business Unit anonymously in each of the last four years; how many Ofsted investigators have been investigated as a result; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 March 2009
	This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 1 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted has only recorded the number of anonymous contacts with the National Business Unitthat may have required action, as opposed to simple requests for informationsince April 2007, when the new organisation came into being. These anonymous contacts relate to complaints about schools. Table A shows the number in each year as recorded in our system.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of anonymous contacts with the National Business Unit that may have required action 
			  Year  Quantity 
			 2007-08 30 
			 2008-09 65 
		
	
	Some additional anonymous contacts relating to the compliance, investigation and enforcement activities we undertake on childcare, daycare and other children's services are made directly to our inspectors or local teams, rather than via the National Business Unit. This information is not collated or held centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
	As these were complaints about schools and not about inspections, they did not lead to any Ofsted inspectors being investigated.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Peter Housden

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to page 28 of the Department for Education and Skills Resource Accounts 2001-02, for what reason Mr. Peter Housden received an interest-free housing loan; and for how many years he received such a loan from the Department for Education and Skills.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The loan was provided in 2002 when Mr. Housden worked for the Department for Education and Skills as part of a relocation package from Nottingham to London. The loan transferred to Communities and Local Government when Mr. Housden was appointed as Permanent Secretary on 24 October 2005.
	Packages of this kind are commonplace in many major organisations and are a key part of recruiting the very best candidates. The loan is counted as taxable income and is being paid back over a 10-year period. Rules governing loans are detailed in the Civil Service Code.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to assess different options for funding the early years entitlement.

Beverley Hughes: The dedicated schools grant formula review was launched at the end of January 2008. The purpose of the review is to ensure that all education to the age of 16 is well supported and providers have the confidence they require to plan their spending effectively over the longer term. We have established a DSG formula review group with representation from central and local Government, teaching associations, unions representing support staff and governors' organisations. In addition, other stakeholders are invited to attend when the most relevant issues to them are on the agenda. We are also considering the extent to which we can rationalise and simplify the different funding streams to deliver children's services  particularly relevant to early years.
	In addition, all local authorities in England are currently in the process of introducing a single funding formula to support the delivery of the free entitlement to early years provision. While this will not mean that funding levels will be equal across all providers, it will mean that it will be provided on an equitable basis, taking into account the same factors, reflective of costs and that any differences will be both transparent and fully justifiable.
	It will also introduce a shift away from place based funding toward participation led funding. There are a number of options for consideration in the formulation of the frameworkfor example how local formulas are used to take account of costs associated with quality, flexibility and outcomes, and under participation led funding when children are counted as participating in provision. The Department is assessing these options through a formula development pilot which was set up in November 2007 and now involves 12 local authorities whose experiences and challenges are being captured.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the processes by which nurseries had recovered the full cost of providing early years childcare places to three and four-year-olds in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: Independent research shows that the funding at the national level is sufficient with around 4 billion being spent by local authorities on provision for under fives in 2007-08, including the free entitlement for three and four-year-olds. This amount is up from around 1 billion in 1997-98. The research, conducted by Hedra in 2007 can be found at:
	www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/RS00042
	The cost of delivering the free entitlement will vary from region to region therefore it is for local authorities to make any assessments. As part of the requirement to introduce a single funding formula to support the delivery of the flexible extension to the free entitlement, all local authorities are required to undertake a cost analysis of their providers to ensure that the offer is fully and fairly supported.

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils with statemented special educational needs of  (a) behavioural, emotional or social difficulties and  (b) autism were given (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four, (v) five and (vi) more than five fixed-period exclusions from (A) mainstream primary and (B) mainstream secondary schools in the latest year for which data are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on pupil characteristics linked to exclusions were collected in the School Census for the first time in 2005/06, but was collected from secondary schools only. In 2006/07 data were also collected from primary and special schools. The special educational needs status can change between periods of exclusion and the Department is currently working on a methodology for the analysis of this information.

Pupil Referral Units

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) boys and  (b) girls in each age group have been in pupil referral units in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Pupils in pupil referral units as at January each year:  number of pupils( 1) by age( 2)  England 
			  Number of pupils 
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			  Age  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys 
			 3 years (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 4 years (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 5 years (4) 30 (4) 20 10 40 (4) 10 10 30 
			 6 years (4) 50 10 30 10 30 (4) 20 20 50 
			 7 years (4) 60 10 40 20 60 10 50 10 60 
			 8 years 10 60 10 50 20 110 10 80 20 120 
			 9 years 10 100 10 90 20 130 10 120 30 180 
			 10 years 10 140 10 120 30 180 10 170 30 250 
			 11 years 20 180 20 140 40 170 70 210 40 240 
			 12 years 50 420 90 440 70 480 80 510 140 640 
			 13 years 170 810 160 770 190 890 230 980 280 1,230 
			 14 years 460 1,370 460 1,520 480 1,690 600 1,830 710 2,090 
			 15 years 1,270 2,880 1,230 3,010 1,340 3,180 1,400 3,390 1,670 4,010 
			 16 years 70 70 80 160 50 40 80 50 60 70 
			 17 years 10 (4) 10 (4) 10 0 20 (4) 10 (4) 
			 18 years and over 0 0 10 (4) 10 (4) 20 (4) 20 (4) 
			 Total all ages 2,090 6,180 2,110 6,370 2,290 7,000 2,540 7,420 3,040 8,970 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of pupils 
			   2004  2 005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Age  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys  Girls  Boys 
			 3 years (3) (3) 0 (4) 0 0 (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 4 years (3) (3) 0 (4) (4) (4) 10 (4) (4) 10 
			 5 years 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 (4) 30 
			 6 years 10 30 (4) 40 (4) 40 (4) 30 (4) 40 
			 7 years 20 80 10 50 (4) 50 10 70 (4) 70 
			 8 years 20 110 10 120 10 90 10 110 10 110 
			 9 years 20 170 10 160 10 170 20 190 10 160 
			 10 years 20 240 10 240 40 320 20 250 30 260 
			 11 years 30 220 30 190 70 350 20 200 40 250 
			 12 years 110 730 130 770 110 700 130 710 140 780 
			 13 years 340 1,290 380 1,480 360 1,600 380 1,410 430 1,500 
			 14 years 730 2,490 930 2,720 1,010 2,870 1,070 2,870 1,040 2,910 
			 15 years 1,740 4,310 2,020 4,890 2,140 4,940 2,170 5,060 2,370 5,450 
			 16 years 100 130 70 90 120 110 130 210 140 200 
			 17 years 30 10 50 10 60 20 30 10 50 10 
			 18 years and over 20 0 30 (4) 20 10 20 (4) 30 10 
			 Total all ages 3,200 9,830 3,690 10,780 3,960 11,280 4,030 11,130 4,290 11,800 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils, including those registered at a PRU who attend at other providers, e.g. FE colleges.  (2) Age at 31 August in previous year.  (3 )Not available.  (4) Less than five pupils.   Note:  Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils enrolled at National Challenge schools were persistent absentees in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: There are 440 schools where fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieve 5 A*-C at GCSE including English and mathematics, based on validated 2008 data. In these schools 34,748 pupils, or 9.5 per cent. were persistently absent in 2007/08. National Challenge also provides bespoke support to schools deemed to be at risk of falling below the 30 per cent. benchmark. In these 545 schools 39,915 pupils, or 8.9 per cent., were persistently absent.
	National Challenge is providing 400 million over three years for bespoke packages of support to meet schools' particular needs, including tackling persistent pupil absence where this is an issue.
	We are committed that by 2011 no local authority will have more than 5 per cent. of its secondary pupils as persistent absentees. Additional support is targeted at schools and local authorities with the highest proportions of persistently absent pupils to help minimise pupil absence from schools.

Pupils: Languages

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils whose first language was not English achieved five grades A* to C at GCSE in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table for the years 2001-02 to 2007-8. Information for years prior to 2001-02 is not available as prior to 2002 individual pupil characteristic information was not collected.
	
		
			  Pupils whose first language is not English or believed not to be English: Achievement of 5 A*-C grades at GCSE, 2002-08 
			  Year( 1)  Number eligible  Number achieving  Proportion achieving (percentage) 
			 2001-02 50,200 23,000 45.8 
			 2002-03 51,700 24,800 48.0 
			 2003-04 51,500 26,100 50.7 
			 2004-05 51,300 28,100 54.8 
			 2005-06 54,500 30,700 56.2 
			 2006-07 55,800 32,500 58.2 
			 2007-08 58,400 36,000 61.6 
			 (1) From 2004/05 these figures are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Prior to this the figures were based on 15-year-olds.  Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	Figures on pupils whose language is not English or believed not to be English are taken from Statistical First Releases on attainment and pupil characteristics, links to which are as follows:
	 2001-02 and 2002-03:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000448/index.shtml
	 2003 - 04:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000564/index.shtml
	 2004-05:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000640/index.shtml
	 2005-06:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000693/index.shtml
	 2006-07:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml
	 2007-08:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000822/index.shtml

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on average per pupil in primary education in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to local authorities so the requested information for Tamworth constituency is not available. In addition it is for local authorities to determine how they spend their funds locally. The per pupil revenue funding figures for primary school pupils and all funded pupils for England and Staffordshire local authority in 2004-05 and 2005-06 are as follows. These figures are in real terms:
	
		
			  Real ter ms revenue funding per pupil EFS plus grants 
			   
			   England  Staffordshire 
			  Primary pupils (3 to 10 years)   
			 2004-05 3,850 3,390 
			 2005-06 4,080 3,610 
			
			  All pupils (3 to 19 years)   
			 2004-05 4,360 3,870 
			 2005-06 4,580 4,080 
			  Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2007-08 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 25 November 2008. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 3 to 15 and exclude Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to  per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations. 5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 6. Status: Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 
		
	
	The revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table are taken from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which was introduced in April 2006. They are not comparable with those for the years 2004-05 to 2005-06 because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
	The 2004-05 to 2005-06 figures are based on Education Formula Spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's Local Government Finance Settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable.
	To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above this does not represent the totality of 'education' funding in that year.
	The per pupil revenue funding figures for years 2005-06 (baseline) to 2008-09 for England and Staffordshire local authority are provided in the following table. As the DSG is a mechanism for distributing funding, a split between primary and secondary schools is not available. The figures shown are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms:
	
		
			  Real terms revenue funding per pupilDSG plus grants 
			   
			   England  Staffordshire 
			  All pupils (3 to 19 years)   
			 2005-06 (baseline) 4,230 3,890 
			 2006-07 4,370 3,990 
			 2007-08 4,530 4,130 
			 2008-09 4,550 4,160 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant, School Standards Grant, School Standards Grant (Personalisation) and Standards Fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price Base: Real terms at 2007-08 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 25 November 2008. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged 3 to 19. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much on average his Department has spent on each pupil between 16 and 19 years in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Average funding on participation per full-time equivalent learner in Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded school sixth forms and FE colleges (including specialist schools and colleges) is presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  16-18 learners in SSF and FE colleges () 
			 2003-04 4,460 
			 2004-05 4,570 
			 2005-06 5,100 
			 2006-07 5,310 
			 2007-08 5,340 
			  Note: Rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide data prior to 2003-04 in a comparable form due to changes in the methods of measuring learner numbers.

School Leaving

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension of the compulsory age of participation in education or training on his responsibilities in respect of ensuring a safe environment for all young people; and what  (a) steps he plans to take and  (b) resources he plans to allocate to (i) establish and (ii) regulate such an environment.

Jim Knight: We are committed to making this country the best place for children to grow up. This includes providing world class facilities for young people to learn which are safe, support their needs and inspire them to succeed. By 2015 local authorities will need to ensure access to high quality facilities to deliver the full 14-19 entitlement, enabling all young people to be in learning.
	Guidance on Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education came into force in January 2007. The guidance sets out the responsibilities of all local authorities, schools and FE colleges in England to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
	Independent of DCSF, Ofsted are responsible for assessing the safety of young people in every learning environment. This includes the care, guidance and support offered to them, and the extent to which the provision contributes to them being healthy and staying safe. We envisage this will continue after the raising of the participation age has come into force.

School Meals: Somerset

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of school kitchens which were  (a) opened and  (b) closed in Somerset in each year from 1988-89 to 2008-09.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information.

Schools: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools there are in each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall with no other school serving the same age range within a (i) one and (ii) two mile radius.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Primary  Secondary 
			   Total number of schools  Number of schools with no other school within 1 mile  Number of schools with no other school within 2 miles  Total number of schools  Number of schools with no other school within 1 mile  Number of schools with no other school within 2 miles 
			 Falmouth and Camborne 37 13 2 5 5 1 
			 North Cornwall 57 41 28 7 5 5 
			 South East Cornwall 49 32 14 6 6 4 
			 St. Ives 49 36 7 7 5 5 
			 Truro and St. Austell 45 30 6 6 4 4 
			  Source: School Census January 2008

Schools: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent through the Basic Needs Safety Valve Targeted Capital Fund in 2007-08 and what his most recent estimate is of expenditure through the Fund in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department allocated 9 million Basic Need Safety Valve funding in 2007-08. The most recent estimate of allocations is:
	 (a) 2008-09: 19 million;
	 (b) 2009-10: 32 million; and
	 (c) 2010-11: 26 million.

Schools: Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of expenditure on the Primary Capital programme for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The latest estimate of allocations by the Department to local authorities in respect of the Primary Capital Programme, including amounts brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10, are
	 (a) 2008-09: 149 million;
	 (b) 2009-10: 745 million; and
	 (c) 2010-11: 903 million.
	Local authorities are expected to add substantial resources to these allocation figures from their other capital resources, when fulfilling their Primary Capital Strategies.

Schools: Somerset

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much capital funding was allocated to schools in Somerset in each year from 1988-89 to 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Capital funding allocated to schools in Somerset in each year from 1996-97, the first year in which detailed records are available, to 2008-09, is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   000 
			 1996-97 3,568 
			 1997-98 3,845 
			 1998-99 8,765 
			 1999-2000 9,188 
			 2000-01 18,148 
			 2001-02 17,621 
			 2002-03 19,859 
			 2003-04 18,850 
			 2004-05 21,831 
			 2005-06 18,240 
			 2006-07 26,222 
			 2007-08 21,318 
		
	
	The increases in funding in 1998-99 to 2000-01 are due to the new deal for schools programmes, from 2000-01 the Devolved Formula Capital programme, and from 2004- 05 the Modernisation programme. The spike in 2006-07 largely results from an allocation for maintained boarding schools.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children aged 16 years or under are attending a school participating in the National Challenge in each local education authority.

Jim Knight: The following shows the proportion of children aged 16 years or under attending schools supported by the National Challenge by local authority.
	This table captures the proportion of pupils in the 440 schools currently below the 30 per cent. benchmark target where fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieve five A*-C at GCSE including English and mathematics, based on validated 2008 data. These figures are captured in column A. All of these schools are receiving additional bespoke support.
	The National Challenge programme does not just however support schools below the floor target. Bespoke support is also provided for schools at risk of dropping below the floor target. The table also therefore captures the proportion of pupils in schools receiving support from the National Challenge and City Challenge programmes. These figures are captured in column B.
	
		
			  State-funded secondary schools( 1) : number and proportion of pupils aged 16 and under( 2)  attending national challenge and city challenge schools, England, by  local authority , at as January 2008 
			  Local authority   All state- funded secondary schools  Column A - schools below 30 pe r  cent .  floor  Column B - All national challenge and city challenge supported schools 
			   LA number  Pupils aged 16 and under  Pupils aged  16 and under  %  of pupils( 3)  Pupils aged  16 and under  %  of pupils( 3) 
			 England  3,113,670 364,440 11.7 585,480 18.8 
			 City of London 201 0 
			 Camden 202 8,770 
			 Greenwich 203 13,350 1,160 8.7 7,030 52.7 
			 Hackney 204 7,410 730 9.8 1,190 16.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 205 6,090   600 9.8 
			 Islington 206 8,020 850 10.6 2,710 33.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 207 3,230 
			 Lambeth 208 8,740 710 8.1 2,110 24.2 
			 Lewisham 209 12,300 820 6.7 2,060 16.7 
			 Southwark 210 12,470 1,880 15.0 1,100 8.8 
			 Tower Hamlets 211 13,660 2,780 20.4 2,780 20.4 
			 Wandsworth 212 10,480 420 4.0 1,480 14.1 
			 Westminster 213 7,770 800 10.3   
			 Barking and Dagenham 301 11,910 1,270 10.7 2,460 20.6 
			 Barnet 302 18,830 700 3.7 700 3.7 
			 Bexley 303 18,580 6,900 37.1 6,360 34.2 
			 Brent 304 15,950 1,670 10.5 1,130 7.1 
			 Bromley 305 20,040   910 4.5 
			 Croydon 306 19,650 1,620 8.2 4,340 22.1 
			 Ealing 307 15, 800   1,260 7.9 
			 Enfield 308 20,350 3,640 17.9 3,640 17.9 
			 Haringey 309 11,990 1,030 8.6 1,300 10.9 
			 Harrow 310 8,980   680 7.5 
			 Havering 311 16,010   1,940 12.1 
			 Hillingdon 312 16,890 4,600 27.3 4,220 25.0 
			 Hounslow 313 14,950 1,120 7.5 3,110 20.8 
			 Kingston upon Thames 314 8,560 
			 Merton 315 8,180 830 10.1 990 12.1 
			 Newham 316 17,850 2,140 12.0 2,140 12.0 
			 Redbridge 317 18,850   830 4.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 318 6,920   820 11.8 
			 Sutton 319 14,900 1,900 12.7 1,970 13.2 
			 Waltham Forest 320 13,440 740 5.5 2,130 15.9 
			 Birmingham 330 65,760 16,610 25.3 24,500 37.3 
			 Coventry 331 19,260 5,060 26.2 6,820 35.4 
			 Dudley 332 19,990 2,240 11.2 3,990 19.9 
			 Sandwell 333 19,500 6,660 34.2 10,070 51.7 
			 Solihull 334 16,210 4,220 26.0 3,140 19.3 
			 Walsall 335 19,850 6,200 31.2 12,790 64.4 
			 Wolverhampton 336 14,870 3,220 21.7 6,830 45.9 
			 Knowsley(4) 340 8,380 3,050 36.4 3,390 40.5 
			 Liverpool 341 29,120 6,740 23.1 12,510 43.0 
			 St Helens 342 10,740 590 5.5 1,870 17.4 
			 Sefton 343 18,450 2,400 13.0 3,650 19.8 
			 Wirral 344 21,500 2,910 13.5 4,810 22.4 
			 Bolton 350 18,320 3,940 21.5 4,660 25.4 
			 Bury 351 11,380   1,590 13.9 
			 Manchester 352 23,460 3,140 13.4 10,170 43.4 
			 Oldham 353 15,740 4,270 27.1 8,100 51.5 
			 Rochdale 354 13,000 1,620 12.4 1,620 12.4 
			 Salford 355 11,420 1,640 14.3 3,770 33.0 
			 Stockport 356 15,270 560 3.7 2,220 14.6 
			 Tameside 357 14,910 1,170 7.8 4,660 31.2 
			 Trafford 358 15,300 420 2.8 1,310 8.5 
			 Wigan 359 19,860 560 2.8 5,500 27.7 
			 Barnsley 370 13,430 5,040 37.5 6,810 50.7 
			 Doncaster 371 19,750 6,160 31.2 8,450 42.8 
			 Rotherham 372 19,030 1,310 6.9 7,360 38.7 
			 Sheffield 373 29,760 9,070 30.5 8,710 29.3 
			 Bradford 380 32,090 9,630 30.0 17,810 55.5 
			 Calderdale 381 14,430 830 5.7 1,260 8.7 
			 Kirklees 382 25,490 2,760 10.8 6,950 27.3 
			 Leeds 383 44,160 5,190 11.8 12,330 27.9 
			 Wakefield 384 20,870   2,370 11.3 
			 Gateshead 390 11,940 750 6.3 2,100 17.6 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 391 15,120 1,720 11.4 4,420 29.2 
			 North Tyneside 392 12,860 760 5.9 2,310 17.9 
			 South Tyneside 393 9,230 710 7.7 710 7.7 
			 Sunderland 394 17,610 1,450 8.2 2,370 13.5 
			 Isles of Scilly 420 0 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 800 11,610   360 3.1 
			 Bristol, City of 801 15,550 4,570 29.4 6,210 40.0 
			 North Somerset 802 12,240 820 6.7 820 6.7 
			 South Gloucestershire 803 17,130   570 3.3 
			 Hartlepool 805 6,330   1,760 27.8 
			 Middlesbrough 806 8,590 2,640 30.7 2,310 26.9 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 807 9,510 1,420 14.9 1,880 19.7 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 808 11,770 1,760 15.0 1,760 15.0 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 810 14,580 7,000 48.0 8,420 57.7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 811 21,550 1,020 4.7 1,020 4.7 
			 North East Lincolnshire 812 9,990 4,550 45.6 4,210 42.1 
			 North Lincolnshire 813 10,280   1,790 17.4 
			 North Yorkshire 815 38,100 1,400 3.7 2,720 7.1 
			 York 816 9,450 420 4.4 1,380 14.6 
			 Bedfordshire 820 35,390 2,140 6.1 2,140 6.1 
			 Luton 821 12,190 
			 Buckinghamshire 825 31,420 3,620 11.5 6,610 21.0 
			 Milton Keynes 826 14,930 2,660 17.8 2,660 17.8 
			 Derbyshire 830 47,440 3,190 6.7 7,720 16.3 
			 Derby 831 15,510 1,760 11.3 4,580 29.6 
			 Dorset 835 27,850 1,320 4.7 2,320 8.3 
			 Poole 836 7,750 1,340 17.3 1,340 17.3 
			 Bournemouth 837 9,150 1,830 20.0 3,220 35.2 
			 Durham 840 30,010 2,830 9.4 5,570 18.6 
			 Darlington 841 5,930 1,460 24.7 880 14.9 
			 East Sussex 845 27,230 3,530 12.9 6,740 24.7 
			 Brighton and Hove 846 11,560 2,460 21.3 2,460 21.3 
			 Hampshire 850 70,150 1,300 1.9 4,120 5.9 
			 Portsmouth 851 9,330 1,690 18.1 3,140 33.6 
			 Southampton 852 10,810 1,520 14.0 1,520 14.0 
			 Leicestershire 855 42,770 490 1.2 490 1.2 
			 Leicester 856 17,760 3,210 18.1 4,140 23.3 
			 Rutland 857 2,370 
			 Staffordshire 860 55,600 3,170 5.7 4,290 7.7 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 861 13,350 3,780 28.3 4,510 33.8 
			 Wiltshire 865 27,510   2,640 9.6 
			 Swindon 866 11,830 3,440 29.0 2,290 19.4 
			 Bracknell Forest 867 5,970   1,080 18.1 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 868 9,310 
			 West Berkshire 869 11,130 820 7.3 1,310 11.8 
			 Reading 870 5,580 640 11.5 770 13.7 
			 Slough 871 8,740   700 8.0 
			 Wokingham 872 9,650 530 5.5   
			 Cambridgeshire 873 31,340 2,770 8.8 4,250 13.6 
			 Peterborough 874 12,160 4,840 39.8 2,850 23.4 
			 Cheshire 875 42,310 3,560 8.4 5,330 12.6 
			 Halton 876 7,620 530 6.9 1,530 20.1 
			 Warrington 877 13,160 960 7.3 2,410 18.3 
			 Devon 878 40,470   3,540 8.7 
			 Plymouth 879 16,690 4,210 25.2 5,310 31.8 
			 Torbay 880 8,200 2,530 30.8 2,530 30.8 
			 Essex 881 85,230 6,060 7.1 10,770 12.6 
			 Southend-on-Sea 882 11,790 900 7.6 4,130 35.0 
			 Thurrock 883 8,810 3,860 43.8 3,250 36.9 
			 Herefordshire 884 9,770 
			 Worcestershire 885 35,970 2,410 6.7 3,210 8.9 
			 Kent 886 92,960 25,080 27.0 28,320 30.5 
			 Medway 887 18,600 4,580 24.6 6,660 35.8 
			 Lancashire 888 69,250 6,160 8.9 8,230 11.9 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 889 9,400 470 5.0 470 5.0 
			 Blackpool 890 8,240 3,490 42.3 3,490 42.3 
			 Nottinghamshire 891 50,010 5,310 10.6 12,370 24.7 
			 Nottingham 892 14,180 5,880 41.4 5,700 40.2 
			 Shropshire 893 16,790 
			 Telford and Wrekin 894 11,450 2,710 23.6 5,680 49.6 
			 Cornwall 908 30,880 2,170 7.0 4,410 14.3 
			 Cumbria 909 32,530 1,700 5.2 6,750 20.7 
			 Gloucestershire 916 37,290 2,650 7.1 5,330 14.3 
			 Hertfordshire 919 73,330 3,830 5.2 3,830 5.2 
			 Isle of Wight 921 11,260 
			 Lincolnshire 925 45,340 4,820 10.6 7,470 16.5 
			 Norfolk 926 46,480 5,540 11.9 7,530 16.2 
			 Northamptonshire 928 44,060 6,900 15.7 9,530 21.6 
			 Northumberland 929 27,210 530 2.0 1,620 6.0 
			 Oxfordshire 931 34,290 1,630 4.8 960 2.8 
			 Somerset 933 31,100 1,770 5.7 2,640 8.5 
			 Suffolk 935 50,590 3,280 6.5 6,100 12.1 
			 Surrey 936 56,410   2,120 3.8 
			 Warwickshire 937 32,060 2,620 8.2 5,030 15.7 
			 West Sussex 938 42,690 3,500 8.2 5,860 13.7 
			 (1) Includes City Technology Colleges and Academies. (2) Excludes dually registered pupils. (3) Number of pupils aged 16 and under in National Challenge schools expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils aged 16 and under in all state-funded secondary schools. (4) Two National Challenge schools in this LA have not been included as they were not open at the January 2008 census date.  Note: Pupil numbers are rounded to nearest 10.  Source : School Census

Schools: Standards

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of  (a) medium-sized and  (b) large schools Ofsted judged to be (i) outstanding, (ii) good, (iii) satisfactory and (iv) inadequate in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 3 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	There are no standard definitions for medium or large schools. This response provides data based on the size banding used when analysing inspection outcomes for Ofsted's Annual Reports. These also include the figures on small schools (primary schools with 100 pupils or fewer, and secondary schools with 600 pupils or fewer), previously provided in response to Parliamentary Question 258254. Data identifying the total number of pupils on a school's roll in each academic year are derived from the Annual School Census produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Please note that schools for which the number of pupils on roil is not available have been excluded from this analysis.
	Ofsted introduced a judgement of schools' overall effectiveness in January 2000, and this response covers data since that point. Under the school inspection framework used between January 2000 and August 2005 (commonly known as Section 10), the school's overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. Since September 2005, the overall effectiveness judgement has been made under the current school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 5) using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. Tables A to D show the percentages of primary and secondary schools by grade for each academic year since January 2000.
	It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from a seven- to a four-point scale. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgements about schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance, which is available on the Ofsted website at
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofstedhome/Formsandguidance/Browseallby/Other/General/Guidance-for-inspectors-of-schools-conducting-the-inspection/(language)/eng-GB
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table AOverall effectiveness in primary schools inspected between January 2000 and 2004/05, by size of school 
			 Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			  Academic year  Size of school (number of pupils on roll)  Number of school inspections  Excellent  Very good  Good  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  Poor  Very poor 
			 January-July 2000 1-100 338 0 19 49 23 8 1 0 
			  101-200 533 1 19 43 27 10 1 0 
			  201-300 817 1 22 41 26 8 2 0 
			  300+ 618 1 18 42 29 8 2 0 
			  All 2,306 1 20 43 27 8 1 0 
			   
			 2000/01 1-100 425 1 18 47 29 3 1 0 
			  101-200 816 1 19 44 29 7 1 0 
			  201-300 1,190 1 23 41 27 6 1 0 
			  300+ 963 2 21 39 30 6 1 0 
			  All 3,394 1 21 42 29 6 1 0 
			   
			 2001/02 1-100 454 1 18 46 29 5 1 0 
			  101-200 765 1 17 48 29 4 1 0 
			  201-300 1,091 2 22 45 25 5 1 0 
			  300+ 973 2 24 41 26 7 1 0 
			  All 3,283 1 21 45 27 5 1 0 
			   
			 2002/03 1-100 423 1 17 49 26 6 1 0 
			  101-200 752 1 20 47 27 4 1 0 
			  201-300 970 2 23 41 28 5 1 0 
			  300+ 873 2 21 42 29 5 1 0 
			  All 3,018 2 21 44 28 5 1 0 
			   
			 2003/04 1-100 458 1 13 52 28 5 1 0 
			  101-200 950 1 18 43 33 5 1 0 
			  201-300 1,131 1 16 49 29 4 1 0 
			  300+ 975 1 15 46 31 6 1 0 
			  All 3,514 1 16 47 31 5 1 0 
			   
			 2004/05 1-100 332 1 16 47 30 5 1 0 
			  101-200 535 1 17 48 30 4 0 0 
			  201-300 578 1 20 51 24 4 0 0 
			  300+ 552 1 18 50 27 3 1 0 
			  All 1,997 1 18 49 27 4 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table BOverall effectiveness in secondary schools inspected between January 2000 and 2004/05, by size of school 
			 Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			  Academic year  Size of school (number of pupils on roll)  Number of school inspections  Excellent  Very good  Good  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  Poor  Very poor 
			 January-July 2000 1-600 61 0 16 57 21 3 2 0 
			  601-875 106 4 16 42 21 14 4 0 
			  876-1,050 71 0 24 31 32 10 3 0 
			  1,051-1,300 68 0 28 47 16 9 0 0 
			  1,301+ 53 4 40 40 9 8 0 0 
			  All 359 2 23 43 21 9 2 0 
			   
			 2000/01 1-600 124 0 7 57 30 5 1 0 
			  601-875 167 1 23 43 24 8 2 0 
			  876-1,050 117 3 23 36 31 6 1 0 
			  1,051-1,300 121 3 36 35 20 6 0 0 
			  1,301+ 107 4 33 46 11 6 1 0 
			  All 636 2 24 43 23 6 1 0 
			   
			 2001/02 1-600 91 0 11 34 41 13 1 0 
			  601-875 156 3 17 44 26 8 2 0 
			  876-1,050 114 3 23 43 25 6 0 0 
			  1,051-1,300 103 3 29 45 18 5 0 0 
			  1,301+ 84 1 31 45 19 2 1 0 
			  All 548 2 22 42 26 7 1 0 
			 2002/03 1-600 98 0 14 55 22 5 3 0 
			  601-875 125 1 20 45 28 5 2 0 
			  876-1,050 98 5 19 44 21 8 1 1 
			  1,051-1,300 109 5 29 38 25 3 0 1 
			  1,301+ 108 6 32 44 17 0 1 0 
			  All 538 3 23 45 23 4 1 2 
			   
			 2003/04 1-600 105 0 13 53 22 10 2 0 
			  601-875 171 3 14 53 22 6 2 0 
			  876-1,050 132 1 22 39 26 9 4 0 
			  1,051-1,300 122 3 18 42 26 8 2 0 
			  1,301+ 97 0 15 62 15 6 1 0 
			  All 627 2 17 49 23 8 2 0 
			   
			 2004/05 1-600 70 0 7 53 30 9 1 0 
			  601-875 102 2 16 47 27 8 0 0 
			  876-1,050 95 2 21 40 31 5 1 0 
			  1,051-1,300 107 4 30 43 17 4 3 0 
			  1,301+ 111 5 34 40 16 2 4 0 
			  All 485 3 23 44 24 5 2 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table COverall effectiveness in primary schools inspected in each academic year since 2005/06, by size of school 
			 Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			  Academic year  Size of school (number of pupils on roll)  Number of school inspections  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate 
			 2005/06 1-100 629 6 55 35 4 
			  101-200 1,207 8 51 35 6 
			  201-300 1,419 11 49 33 8 
			  300+ 1,211 10 45 36 9 
			  All 4,466 9 49 34 7 
			
			 2006/07 1-100 909 10 53 34 2 
			  101-200 1,707 10 51 34 5 
			  201-300 1,999 14 47 33 6 
			  300+ 1,714 15 44 36 6 
			  All 6,329 12 48 34 5 
			
			 2007/08 1-100 845 10 59 29 2 
			  101-200 1,650 12 52 32 4 
			  201-300 1,913 15 49 33 4 
			  300+ 1,667 14 44 36 6 
			  All 6,075 13 50 33 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Table DOverall effectiveness in secondary schools inspected in each academic year since 2005/06, by size of school 
			 Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			  Academic year  Size of school (number of pupils on roll)  Number of school inspections  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate 
			 2005/06 1-600 157 3 39 45 13 
			  601-875 260 10 35 40 15 
			  876-1,050 178 8 34 46 12 
			  1,051-1,300 225 12 42 35 12 
			  1,301+ 203 16 45 28 11 
			  All 1,023 10 39 38 13 
			 2006/07 1-600 212 9 33 45 13 
			  601-875 314 11 31 48 11 
			  876-1,050 266 15 38 38 9 
			  1,051-1,300 253 14 42 36 9 
			  1,301+ 249 18 46 31 5 
			  All 1,294 13 38 40 9 
			
			 2007/08 1-600 180 8 39 42 10 
			  601-875 308 17 39 36 8 
			  876-1,050 240 16 40 35 9 
			  1,051-1,300 225 16 43 31 10 
			  1,301+ 211 24 41 27 8 
			  All 1,164 17 40 34 9

Science: Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 2 November 2005,  Official Report, columns 1207-11W, on science, what percentage of those students who gained  (a) a GCSE,  (b) an A-level and  (c) an AS-level in (i) biology or human biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics in each year since 2000 were educated in (A) the state sector and (B) the independent sector, broken down by grade;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 2544-46W, on languages: general certificate of secondary education, how many and what proportion of pupils who gained a GCSE in  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry and  (c) biology at each grade were educated in the (i) maintained and (ii) independent sector in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries for the years 2005-08. Figures prior to 2005 can be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary Education: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in funding for secondary schools in Milton Keynes announced for 2009-10 by the Learning and Skills Council;
	(2)  for what reasons the Learning and Skills Council replaced the final funding allocation sent to schools in Milton Keynes on 3 March 2009 with a final funding statement on 31 March 2009; what assessment he has made of the effect of this on schools' budgetary planning; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the press statement of 3 April 2009, which is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0068

Sixth Form Education

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 279-80W, on sixth form education, whether the changes to the Decision Makers' guidance in relation to new school sixth forms were implemented in February 2009.

Jim Knight: I am currently considering comments received from key 16-19 stakeholders in the consultation on the proposed changes to the Decision Maker's Guidance. The full revised guidance will be published on the Department's website as soon as possible. On 26 March we made one change to the guidance to alter the presumption eligibility period from 12 to 24 months.

Sixth Form Education: Admissions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the projected learner numbers are for those between 16 and 19 years in sixth form education in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Annual Statement of Priorities published in 2008 estimated total participation in 2009/10 to be 1,484,000 of which 399,000 are in school sixth forms including Academies. Projected information for each of the next five years will be part of the next spending review and is not yet available.

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will reverse the reductions announced in overall funding levels for the 2009-10 sixth form allocations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the reasons are for the reductions in 2009-10 sixth form funding allocations made by the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We are not cutting funding for further education (FE) colleges or sixth forms in 2009/10.
	We are planning record investment of over 6.7 billion in education for 16 to 18-year-olds from September this year. That means there is funding for over 1.5 million young people to study, the most 16 to 18-year-olds that have ever been in education in this country.
	As part of the Department's wider discussions in the National Economic Council on what more we can do to support the economy, we are working across Government on the extra financial support we need to provide for the new learners that are coming forward.
	The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) letter 31 of March confirmed that we continue to consider options for further funding, including meeting emerging pressures from the impact of the recession and recruitment during the year. The LSC will be writing again to schools and colleges by the end of April.

Social Services: Children

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews there have been on the death of children in Eastbourne in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: Information is collected at local authority level only.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the planned expenditure in England on  (a) provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with special educational needs (SEN),  (b) support for inclusion,  (c) inter-authority recoupment,  (d) fees for pupils at independent special schools abroad,  (e) educational psychology services,  (f) local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health-related services,  (g) parent partnership, guidance and information,  (h) the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination,  (i) funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN and  (j) the individual schools budget for special schools is for 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information for planned net expenditure on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs in England for 2008-09 is contained within the following table:
	
		
			
			 Individual Schools Budget (ISB) for special schools 1,505,416,000 
			 Funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN 2,043,281,000 
			 SEN funding delegated to schools 3,548,697,000 
			 Provision for pupils with SEN (including assigned resources) 261,032,000 
			 Provision for pupils with SEN; provision not included in line 1.2.1 215,724,000 
			 Support for inclusion 80,239,000 
			 Fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad 582,156,000 
			 Inter-authority recoupment 45,991,000 
			 Centrally retained SEN element of the school budget 1,185,141,000 
			 Educational Psychology Service 146,243,000 
			 SEN administration assessment and co-ordination 86,016,000 
			 Therapies and other Health Related Services 13,171,000 
			 Parent partnership guidance and information 20,115,000 
			 Monitoring of SEN provision 17,895,000 
			 LA functions in relation to child protection 81,789,000 
			 SEN element of the LA budget 365,229,000 
			 Total planned expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs' 5,099,068,000 
			 Planned expenditure on SEN transport 552,559,000

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils with statements in each local authority area attended  (a) mainstream primary,  (b) mainstream secondary,  (c) independent primary and  (d) independent secondary schools in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information for the 12 year time period could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a table providing information for the years 1997, 2002 and 2008 has been placed in the House Libraries. Information is provided for maintained primary, state-funded secondary and independent schools. Information on types of independent schools is not collected.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs attended mainstream secondary schools at which fewer than  (a) 10 per cent.,  (b) 20 per cent. and  (c) 30 per cent. of pupils obtained fewer than five A* to C grades in GCSEs including English and mathematics in 2007-08.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2008, 38 (0.29 per cent.) of pupils with statements of SEN were in maintained mainstream schools with fewer than 10 per cent. of pupils achieving five or more grades A*-C including English and maths.
	578 (4.38 per cent.) of pupils with statements of SEN were in maintained mainstream schools with fewer than 20 per cent. of pupils achieving five or more grades A*-C including English and maths.
	2383 (18.06 per cent.) of pupils with statements of SEN were in maintained mainstream schools with fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five or more grades A*-C including English and maths.
	Only maintained mainstream schools with 10 or more pupils were considered in the answer.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained and non-maintained special schools there were in each local authority in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2008, broken down by special educational needs priority.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not hold historical data relating to the special educational needs priority one indicator for special schools. The indicator relates only to a school's current SEN designation. Tables, taken from my Department's records, based on information provided by local authorities, indicating the number of maintained and non-maintained special schools in each local authority area for each of the years 1997, 2003 and 2008 have been placed in the House Libraries for viewing.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended independent special schools in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The earliest and latest available data are shown in the following table.
	Data for further years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The data show the number of pupils attending independent schools in each local authority area that are either approved under s347 of the Education Act 1996, or that cater wholly or mainly for pupils with special educational needs. The Department does not hold data identifying which authority may have placed a pupil in an independent school, or whether pupils have been placed at their parents' own expense.
	
		
			  Independent special sch oo ls( 1) : Number of pupils in independent schools that are either approved under s347 of the 1996 Education Act or that cater wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN: As at January 2005 and 2008England 
			Headcount of pupils( 2) 
			  LA Number  LA  n ame  2005( 3)  2008( 3) 
			 202 Camden 40 10 
			 204 Hackney 50 70 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 130 90 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0 40 
			 208 Lambeth 40 30 
			 210 Southwark 40 40 
			 212 Wandsworth 110 100 
			 213 Westminster 130 150 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 0 10 
			 302 Barnet 20 30 
			 305 Bromley 30 30 
			 306 Croydon 50 60 
			 307 Ealing 100 100 
			 308 Enfield 10 0 
			 309 Haringey 30 70 
			 312 Hillingdon 70 90 
			 315 Merton 130 180 
			 316 Newham 0 0 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 0 140 
			 319 Sutton (4) (4) 
			 330 Birmingham 50 130 
			 331 Coventry 0 (4) 
			 334 Solihull 0 (4) 
			 335 Walsall 0 100 
			 340 Knowsley 20 0 
			 341 Liverpool 50 50 
			 342 St Helens 60 60 
			 343 Sefton 50 50 
			 350 Bolton 0 (4) 
			 351 Bury 0 10 
			 352 Manchester 60 40 
			 353 Oldham 0 0 
			 354 Rochdale (4) 10 
			 356 Stockport 50 60 
			 357 Tameside 0 10 
			 370 Barnsley 10 130 
			 371 Doncaster 70 70 
			 372 Rotherham 130 0 
			 373 Sheffield 20 30 
			 380 Bradford 0 10 
			 381 Calderdale 20 50 
			 382 Kirklees 0 (4) 
			 383 Leeds 0 (4) 
			 384 Wakefield 10 30 
			 392 North Tyneside 0 20 
			 394 Sunderland 80 70 
			 801 City of Bristol 80 80 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 20 20 
			 805 Hartlepool 0 (4) 
			 810 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 50 30 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire (4) 10 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0 10 
			 815 North Yorkshire 10 20 
			 820 Bedfordshire (4) 30 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 90 120 
			 830 Derbyshire 270 250 
			 835 Dorset 230 240 
			 840 Durham 0 10 
			 841 Darlington 0 10 
			 845 East Sussex 210 210 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 10 10 
			 850 Hampshire 420 510 
			 852 Southampton 60 50 
			 855 Leicestershire 80 140 
			 857 Rutland 0 50 
			 860 Staffordshire 180 180 
			 861 Stoke 0 10 
			 865 Wiltshire 160 160 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 0 10 
			 869 West Berkshire 60 60 
			 870 Reading 10 0 
			 872 Wokingham 30 10 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 80 80 
			 874 City of Peterborough 0 10 
			 875 Cheshire 50 50 
			 876 Halton (4) 20 
			 877 Warrington 10 20 
			 878 Devon 170 190 
			 879 City of Plymouth 20 10 
			 880 Torbay 10 10 
			 881 Essex 130 190 
			 882 Southend 0 (4) 
			 884 Herefordshire 100 90 
			 885 Worcestershire 70 70 
			 886 Kent 470 540 
			 887 Medway 50 40 
			 888 Lancashire 460 550 
			 889 Blackburn and Darwen 60 10 
			 890 Blackpool (4) 10 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 10 10 
			 892 City of Nottingham 30 10 
			 893 Shropshire 140 210 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 30 50 
			 908 Cornwall 0 10 
			 909 Cumbria 360 300 
			 916 Gloucestershire 50 50 
			 919 Hertfordshire 50 60 
			 925 Lincolnshire 50 60 
			 926 Norfolk 190 210 
			 928 Northamptonshire 70 90 
			 929 Northumberland 0 (4) 
			 931 Oxfordshire 50 70 
			 933 Somerset 470 420 
			 935 Suffolk 90 130 
			 936 Surrey 420 520 
			 937 Warwickshire 30 50 
			 938 West Sussex 220 210 
			 (1) Includes school types: Independent Schools Approved for SEN Pupils and Other Independent Special Schools. (2) Excludes dually registered pupils. (3) In a small number of cases there is a relatively large change between the two years. This is because of changes in the number of schools of this type between the years, and movement of schools between local authority areas. (4) Less than five pupils.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2008,  O fficial Report, column 1250W, on special educational needs: disadvantaged, how many special schools there were in each decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices in 2008;
	(2)  how many specials schools there were in each decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices in 2003.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the table:
	
		
			  Number of special schools( 1)  by IDACI decile( 2)  of school location 
			  IDACI decile  2003  2008 
			 0-10% most deprived areas 121 117 
			 10-20% 122 114 
			 20-30% 113 102 
			 30-40% 125 123 
			 40-50% 110 99 
			 50-60% 94 92 
			 60-70% 115 105 
			 70-80% 105 93 
			 80-90% 129 109 
			 90-100% least deprived areas 126 111 
			 (1) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. (2) 2007 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many special needs children have not been accepted into mainstream education because of the lack of resourced staff in  (a) Eastbourne constituency,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This information is not available.
	No child with special educational needs (SEN) should be denied admission to a mainstream school because of staffing levels. They are protected against being treated worse then other children in the admissions process. For children with SEN statements, under section 324 (5) (b) of the Education Act 1996, local authority maintained schools, including maintained mainstream schools, are required to admit pupils whose statements name the school. The statements may set out extra staffing resources to meet the child's needs. The statutory School Admissions Code says that admission authorities and school governing bodies must ensure that their admission arrangements are fair and do not unfairly disadvantage particular social or racial groups including children with SEN. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, children with SEN who also come within the definition of disability under that Act are protected against discrimination in the matter of admissions on the ground of disability and their parents can make claims to the First-tier Tribunal (SEN and Disability) or to local admissions panels if they feel their child has been discriminated against.
	As at January 2008, there were 40,000 more teachers in schools than there were in 1997. The total school workforce staff (teacher and support staff) has grown by 42 per cent. since 1997, with the number of teaching assistants having increased by 12,700 between 2007 and 2008. Full-time teacher vacancies in local authority maintained schools were running at 0.7 per cent. in East Sussex, the same percentage as for England as a whole.

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had statements of special educational needs and were children in care were given  (a) fixed-term and  (b) permanent exclusions in the most recent school year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Currently available sources of data on children in care do not provide sufficiently complete data to answer this question.
	The OC2 data collection collects information on a range of outcomes for looked after children from local authorities. This information has been published in the Statistical First Release Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2007England (SFR 08/2008), which is available on the Department's website via the following link at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/index.shtml

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils with  (a) statemented and  (b) non-statemented special educational needs lived in the most deprived percentile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils( 1)  with a statement of special education needs (SEN) and with SEN but without a statement living in the most deprived percentile of lower layer super output areas as determined by IDACI( 2) , 2003 and 2008 
			2003  2008 
			 Pupils with a statement of SEN Number of pupils living in the most deprived percentile 4,168 3,598 
			  Percentage of pupils with a statement of SEN living in the most deprived percentile(3) 1.7 1.7 
			 
			 Pupils with SEN but without a statement Number of pupils living in the most deprived percentile 24,184 28,556 
			  Percentage of pupils with SEN but without a statement living in the most deprived percentile3 2.2 2.2 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils only. (2) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007 at Super Output Area level. (3) Proportion calculated using the number of pupils with valid postcodes who could be matched to super output areas.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1250W, on special educational needs: disadvantaged, what the names of the 117 schools referred to in the table are; and in which local authority area each is located.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A table listing the 117 special schools in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output area by Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices has been placed in the House Libraries.

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in each decile of area deprivation by  (a) pupil residence and  (b) school location were recorded as having (i) statemented and (ii) non-statemented special educational needs in (A) 2003 and (B) 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  (i) Percentage of children in schools( 1,2,3)  with a statement of special educational needs( 4)  by IDACI decile( 5)  of pupil residence and school location, 2003 and 2008 
			   2003  2008 
			  IDACI decile( 5)  By pupil residency  By school location  By pupil residency  By school location 
			 0-10% most deprived areas 3.9 3.2 3.4 2.9 
			 10-20% 4.0 3.7 3.4 3.2 
			 20-30% 3.8 3.2 3.4 2.9 
			 30-40% 3.5 3.5 3.1 3.4 
			 40-50% 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 
			 50-60% 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.7 
			 60-70% 2.6 3.0 2.5 2.7 
			 70-80% 2.4 2.8 2.3 2.5 
			 80-90% 2.3 2.9 2.2 2.7 
			 90-100% least deprived areas 2.0 3.0 2.1 2.7 
			 Total 3.1 3.1 2.8 2.8 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils only. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (3) Includes CTCs and academies. (4) Excludes pupils whose SEN status is unknown (0.01 per cent.). (5) 2007 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Percentage of children in schools( 1,2,3)  with special educational needs( 4)  but without a statement by IDACI decile( 5)  of pupil residence and school location, 2003 and 2008 
			   2003  2008 
			  IDACI decile( 5)  By pupil residency  By school location  By pupil residency  By school location 
			 0-10% most deprived areas 21.8 20.5 26.0 24.3 
			 10-20% 19.6 19.1 23.8 22.9 
			 20-30% 17.7 16.7 21.6 20.7 
			 30-40% 15.9 15.8 19.4 19.1 
			 40-50% 13.9 13.9 17.3 17.4 
			 50-60% 12.3 13.1 15.3 16.4 
			 60-70% 11.3 12.5 13.9 15.5 
			 70-80% 10.1 11.7 12.6 14.7 
			 80-90% 9.2 10.9 11.6 13.8 
			 90-100% least deprived areas 7.8 10.5 9.9 12.8 
			 Total 14.5 14.5 17.7 17.7 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils only. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (3) Includes CTCs and academies. (4) Excludes pupils whose SEN status is unknown (0.01 per cent.). (5) 2007 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained special schools there were in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each year since 1990.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information is shown in the following table. Information by parliamentary constituency is only available from 1997.
	
		
			  Maintained special schools: number of schools in Eastbourne parliamentary constituency and East Sussex local authority as at January each year 
			   East Sussex local authority  Eastbourne parliamentary constituency 
			 1990(1) 20 n/a 
			 1991(1) 20 n/a 
			 1992(1) 19 n/a 
			 1993(1) 19 n/a 
			 1994(1) 19 n/a 
			 1995(1) 19 n/a 
			 1996(1) 19 n/a 
			 1997(1) 18 3 
			 1998(2) 11 3 
			 1999(2) 11 3 
			 2000(2) 11 3 
			 2001(2) 11 3 
			 2002(2) 11 3 
			 2003(2) 11 3 
			 2004(2) 11 3 
			 2005(2) 11 3 
			 2006(2) 11 3 
			 2007(2) 11 3 
			 2008(2) 10 3 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Before local government reorganisation. (2) After local government reorganisation.  Source:  School Census.

Special Educational Needs: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families at how many mainstream schools attended by pupils with statements of special educational needs no such pupils achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 20 March 2009
	In 43 maintained mainstream schools, no pupils with statements of SEN attained five or more GCSEs at grades A* -C or the equivalent in 2008.
	Only schools with 10 or more pupils with SEN with statements were considered in the answer.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs were given a fixed-period exclusion from a secondary school in each local authority area in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by reason for exclusion.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A table showing the number of fixed period exclusions (not the number of pupils) for pupils with special educational needs for 2006/07 and has been placed in the House Libraries. Pupils can be excluded more than once and these can be for different reasons.

Special Educational Needs: Tribunals

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of local authorities' expenditure on legal counsel in preparation for and for representation at special educational needs and disability tribunals related to autism in 2007-08.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No estimate has been made.

Specialised Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils of each age are entered for the 14 to 19 diploma examinations.

Jim Knight: Data gathered from local authorities in September 2008 told us that 12,072 young people had started a diploma course. This figure comprises 8,568 pre-16 and 3,504 post-16 learners. We collected this information for funding purposes, and we have not collected revised figures subsequently.
	Because the diploma is a composite qualification consisting of several different elements, centres will not enter their learners for just a single examination. We will know exactly how many diploma awards have been made in the first year when the results are made available on 27 August 2009. However, most diplomas are taken as two-year courses, and we therefore expect the majority of awards from the first phase of teaching to be made in summer 2010. We do not normally expect to know how many learners have been entered for a particular examination before results are collected from awarding organisations.

Specialised Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many days work-based training pupils have completed on average in each level of each of the 14 to 19 diplomas.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Young people began diploma programmes for the first time in September 2008. At this early stage, in one or two year programmes, detailed data on the number of days they have completed in work based training is not available.
	However, each diploma learner must complete a minimum of 10 days work experience during their programme. In addition, as part of their diploma programme, they will have opportunities to undertake work related learning in a range of settings beyond the classroom, to equip them with the knowledge and skills for employment and further study.

Specialised Diplomas: Publicity

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  on what sites  (a) posters and  (b) other promotional material for the 14-19 diploma have been placed;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on advertising for the 14-19 diploma; on what date each advertising campaign was commissioned; how much each cost; and what type of advertising was used.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 27 March 2009
	The aim of the ongoing diploma information campaign is to increase awareness and understanding of the diploma to enable young people and their parents to make informed choices about whether the qualification is the right option for them.
	The information campaign has included posters placed on buses, bus shelters, telephone kiosks and roadside sites to raise awareness of the new qualification.
	The campaign has also involved: radio and press advertising; events; and information materials, including leaflets and DVDs which are available on the internet and for schools to order.
	The diploma information campaign was commissioned in August 2007 and, to date, the Department has spent 6,712,189.38 on advertising.
	There were two main phases of advertising activity in 2007/2008 between 29 October and 25 November and 21 January and 17 February.
	There were three main phases of advertising activity in 2008/2009 between 22 September and 19 October, 5 January and 1 February and 9 March and 5 April. The type of advertising is broken down in the following table.
	
		
			  Media  Spend () 
			  2007/2008  
			 Radio 967,842.04 
			 Out of homeposters etc 297,586.03 
			 Press 162,839.00 
			 Online 204,352.00 
			 Associated production 124,256.68 
			 Total 1,756,875.75 
			   
			  2008/2009  
			 Radio 1,667,874.98 
			 Out of homeposters etc 1,567,848.32 
			 Press 1,172,029.00 
			 Online 421,732.00 
			 Associated production 125,829.33 
			 Total 4,955,313.63

Sure Start Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families where each Sure Start Centre opened in the last 12 months is located.

Beverley Hughes: Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 Sure Start Children's Centres opened in the following local authorities:
	Barking and Dagenham
	Barnet
	Bexley
	Birmingham
	Brent
	Bristol
	Bromley
	Camden
	Cornwall
	Coventry
	Derbyshire
	Devon
	Dorset
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	Enfield
	Hammersmith
	Hampshire
	Harrow
	Herefordshire
	Kent
	Kingston upon Hull
	Kirklees
	Knowsley
	Lambeth
	Lancashire
	Leeds
	Leicestershire
	Merton
	Milton Keynes
	Norfolk
	North East Lincolnshire
	North Lincolnshire
	Northumberland
	Nottinghamshire
	Oxfordshire
	Peterborough
	Plymouth
	Portsmouth
	Redcar and Cleveland
	Rotherham
	Sandwell
	Shropshire
	Southwark
	Staffordshire
	Stockton on Tees
	Suffolk
	Surrey
	Sutton
	Thurrock
	Walsall
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth
	Warwickshire
	West Berkshire
	Wigan
	Wiltshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Worcestershire

Sure Start Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare settings located in Sure Start children's centres have closed in each quarter of the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The information is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Gender

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of  (a) secondary and  (b) primary school headteachers were (i) male and (ii) female in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of  (a) secondary and  (b) primary school teachers were (i) male and (ii) female in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information on full-time regular qualified teachers in local authority maintained schools by phase, grade and sex is published in Table D2 of the Statistical First Release School Workforce in England (including Local Authority level figures), January 2008 (Revised) which can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/index.shtml
	The annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, 618G, is the Department's preferred source of teacher numbers in service, but this is not broken down by gender. Table D2 uses information from the Database of Teacher Records which is not as complete as 618G. Hence, the proportions quoted within it are reliable but the underlying numbers are not included.
	Underlying teacher numbers, broken down by gender, are available from the School Census and cover all teachers employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools. These figures cannot be broken down by grade however and therefore relate to all teachers including heads.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent number and proportions of male and female teachers( 1)  in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schoolsyears: January 1997 to 2008 
			  Coverage: England 
			   Nursery/Primary  Secondary( 2) 
			   Male  Percentage  Female  Percentage  Male  Percentage  Female  Percentage 
			 1997 29,730 16 155,790 84 86,010 47 98,320 53 
			 1998 29,000 16 155,470 84 84,780 46 99,690 54 
			 1999 28,840 16 156,960 84 84,910 46 101,400 54 
			 2000 28,740 15 158,260 85 85,060 45 103,320 55 
			 2001 28,670 15 161,020 85 86,280 45 107,060 55 
			 2002 29,230 15 163,870 85 88,910 44 111,540 56 
			 2003 28,570 15 162,520 85 89,250 44 114,680 56 
			 2004 28,030 15 160,710 85 88,980 43 116,840 57 
			 2005 27,510 15 160,600 85 89,260 43 119,780 57 
			 2006 27,730 15 162,750 85 88,930 42 121,680 58 
			 2007 27,490 14 162,810 86 87,650 42 122,570 58 
			 2008 27,690 14 163,450 86 86,330 41 124,540 59 
			 (1) Includes qualified and unqualified teachers. (2) Excludes Academies.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Teachers: Information and Communications Technology

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recommendations the Training and Development Agency has made to his Department on the ICT skills tests for new teachers.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Training and Development Agency for Schools has made no recommendations to the Department on the ICT skills test for teachers.

Teachers: Males

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to his letter of correction of 4 December 2008 to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham, Deposited Paper DEP2008-2997, to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 596W, on teachers: males, which five secondary schools did not have any male teachers in 2008; and in which local authority area each was.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the name and local authority area of maintained secondary schools recorded in the school census of January 2008 as having no male full-time qualified teacher. Middle schools deemed secondary are included.
	
		
			  Local authority maintained secondary schools with no male full-time qualified( 1)  teacher, 2008, England 
			   Local authority  area 
			 Bolton Muslim Girls School Bolton 
			 Feversham College Bradford 
			 Seahouses Middle School Northumberland 
			 West Sleekburn Middle School Northumberland 
			 Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School Hackney 
			 (1) Teacher with qualified teacher status.  Source: School Census.

Teachers: Males

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to his letter of correction of 4 December 2008 to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham, Deposited Paper DEP2008-2997, to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 596W, on teachers: males, how many and what percentage of primary school pupils who  (a) lived and  (b) attended school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices in 2008 attended schools with no male teachers.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown as follows:
	 (a) In 2008, 85,883 primary school pupils(1,2) who lived in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices (IDACI) attended schools with no male teachers. This represents 14.7 per cent. of all primary school pupils who lived in the most deprived IDACI decile. This compares with 20.5 per cent. of primary pupils resident in all IDACI deciles, who attend schools with no male teachers.
	 (b) In 2008, 69,990 primary school pupils(1,2) who attended school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices (IDACI) attended schools with no male teachers. This represents 14.6 per cent. of all primary school pupils who attended school in the most deprived IDACI decile. This compares with 20.6 per cent. of primary pupils who attend school in all IDACI deciles, who attend schools with no male teachers.
	(1) Includes solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils.
	(2) Includes pupils of all ages attending maintained primary schools.
	 Source:
	School Census 2008.

Teachers: Pay

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary teachers did not move up the pay spine in each of the last three years for which data are available.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the pay progression of teachers is available in the 2007 and 2009 Office of Manpower Economics (OME) survey of teachers' pay which are available at the following web link:
	http://www.ome.uk.com/review.cfm?body=7

Teachers: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of teachers in each local authority area were classified as unqualified in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the proportion of full-time equivalent number of teachers without qualified teacher status (QTS) employed in local authority maintained schools by each local authority in England in January 2008, the latest information available.
	Teachers without QTS include instructors, overseas trained teachers and teachers on employment based routes to qualified teacher status (Graduate Teacher Programme, the Registered Teachers Programme, the Overseas Trained Teachers Programme and the Teach First Scheme).
	
		
			  Percentages of full-time equivalent regular teachers without qualified teacher status( 1)  in local authority maintained schools in each local authority( 2) , Years: January 2008Coverage: England 
			   Percentage of unqualified teachers 
			  England 3.9 
			   
			 Gateshead 0.7 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2.5 
			 North Tyneside 1.3 
			 South Tyneside 1.1 
			 Sunderland 3.1 
			 Hartlepool 4.5 
			 Middlesbrough 2.4 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4.0 
			 Stockton on Tees 2.7 
			 Darlington 3.8 
			 Durham 2.1 
			 Northumberland 1.4 
			  North E ast 2.3 
			   
			 Cumbria 1.0 
			 Cheshire 1.5 
			 Halton 1.7 
			 Warrington 1.6 
			 Bolton 2.7 
			 Bury 1.4 
			 Manchester 3.7 
			 Oldham 2.9 
			 Rochdale 2.0 
			 Salford 3.6 
			 Stockport 0.7 
			 Tameside 1.8 
			 Trafford 1.3 
			 Wigan 1.2 
			 Lancashire 1.3 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0.8 
			 Blackpool 2.5 
			 Knowsley 1.6 
			 Liverpool 1.3 
			 St. Helens 0.9 
			 Sefton 1.7 
			 Wirral 1.1 
			  North  W est 1.7 
			   
			 Kingston-Upon-Hull, City of 7.9 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2.8 
			 North East Lincolnshire 5.1 
			 North Lincolnshire 3.3 
			 North Yorkshire 3.4 
			 York 1.8 
			 Barnsley 1.9 
			 Doncaster 2.8 
			 Rotherham 2.6 
			 Sheffield 3.2 
			 Bradford 1.2 
			 Calderdale 1.5 
			 Kirklees 1.3 
			 Leeds 2.1 
			 Wakefield 2.2 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 2.7 
			   
			 Derbyshire 1.2 
			 Derby 3.2 
			 Leicestershire 3.5 
			 Leicester 4.9 
			 Rutland n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 6.2 
			 Northamptonshire 4.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 2.4 
			 Nottingham 3.7 
			  East  M idlands 3.5 
			   
			 Herefordshire 1.7 
			 Worcestershire 1.8 
			 Shropshire 2.0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 2.0 
			 Staffordshire 2.8 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3.6 
			 Warwickshire 3.4 
			 Birmingham 3.9 
			 Coventry 3.5 
			 Dudley 3.4 
			 Sandwell 0.9 
			 Solihull 3.7 
			 Walsall 3.9 
			 Wolverhampton 3.9 
			  West  M idlands 3.1 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire 3.7 
			 Peterborough 5.4 
			 Norfolk 5.4 
			 Suffolk 2.0 
			 Bedfordshire 6.3 
			 Luton 9.0 
			 Essex 3.7 
			 Southend-on-Sea 12.0 
			 Thurrock 8.6 
			 Hertfordshire 6.6 
			  East of England 5.2 
			   
			 City of London n/a 
			 Camden 7.8 
			 Greenwich 7.4 
			 Hackney 8.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8.6 
			 Islington 8.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 14.8 
			 Lambeth 6.7 
			 Lewisham 4.5 
			 Southwark 11.5 
			 Tower Hamlets 9.4 
			 Wandsworth 8.4 
			 Westminster 10.6 
			 Barking and Dagenham 9.3 
			 Barnet 7.8 
			 Bexley 4.6 
			 Brent 9.2 
			 Bromley 5.7 
			 Croydon 7.1 
			 Ealing 8.3 
			 Enfield 5.5 
			 Haringey 6.9 
			 Harrow 8.5 
			 Havering 6.7 
			 Hillingdon 7.6 
			 Hounslow 6.9 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3.2 
			 Merton 6.1 
			 Newham 5.3 
			 Redbridge 7.5 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3.3 
			 Sutton 4.6 
			 Waltham Forest 8.2 
			  London 7.3 
			   
			 Bracknell Forest 5.3 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 6.1 
			 West Berkshire 3.8 
			 Reading 5.7 
			 Slough 9.5 
			 Wokingham 2.5 
			 Buckinghamshire 4.8 
			 Milton Keynes 3.7 
			 East Sussex 3.2 
			 Brighton and Hove 2.3 
			 Hampshire 4.0 
			 Portsmouth 4.2 
			 Southampton 3.8 
			 Isle of Wight 6.1 
			 Kent 8.3 
			 Medway 4.9 
			 Oxfordshire 3.7 
			 Surrey 3.7 
			 West Sussex 1.9 
			  South  E ast 4.7 
			   
			 Isles of Scilly n/a 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0.7 
			 City of Bristol 2.1 
			 North Somerset 0.2 
			 South Gloucestershire 0.9 
			 Cornwall 4.5 
			 Devon 1.5 
			 Plymouth 2.2 
			 Torbay 2.5 
			 Dorset 2.9 
			 Poole 1.7 
			 Bournemouth 3.9 
			 Gloucestershire 1.7 
			 Somerset 1.9 
			 Wiltshire 1.7 
			 Swindon 2.8 
			  South  W est 2.1 
			 n/a = not available (1) Includes instructors, overseas trained teachers and teachers on employment based routes to qualified teacher status (Graduate Teacher Programme, the Registered Teachers Programme, the Overseas Trained Teachers Programme and the Teach First Scheme). (2) Local authorities with less than 10 unqualified teachers are shown as not available.  Source: Annual Survey Of Teachers In Service And Teacher Vacancies, 618g

Teachers: Retirement

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers  (a) retired,  (b) retired on grounds of ill health and  (c) took early retirement in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in table H1 of the Statistical First Release titled School Workforce in England (including Local Authority level figures), January 2008 (Revised) which can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/index.shtml

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students studied courses leading to  (a) a Bachelor of Education degree and  (b) a postgraduate certificate in education in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of students on undergraduate and postgraduate initial teacher training programmes gaining qualified teacher status (QTS) in academic years 1998/99 to 2006/07, the latest year for which data are available. Data for years prior to 1998/99 are not available in the format requested.
	
		
			  Teachers gaining qualified teacher status (QTS) via college-based courses: qualification by phase of training, 1998/99 to 2006/07, England 
			   Undergraduate  Postgraduate  Total 
			 1998/99 8,910 15,160 24,070 
			 1999/2000 6,850 14,850 21,690 
			 2000/01 6,490 16,150 22,640 
			 2001/02 6,340 16,940 23,280 
			 2002/03 6,250 19,180 25,430 
			 2003/04 5,880 21,460 27,340 
			 2004/05 5,360 21,780 27,150 
			 2005/06 5,410 21,600 27,010 
			 2006/07 5,900 21,080 26,980 
			  Notes: 1. Includes trainees from universities and other higher education institutions, school centred initial teacher training and Open universities but exclude employment-based routes (EBR). 2. Excludes cases where QTS was granted on assessment without a course of initial teacher training. 3. Includes those trained through the Fast Track programme, which started in 2001/02. 4. Numbers are individually rounded to the nearest 10 and therefore may not sum.  Source: TDA Performance Profiles.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of applicants for the initial teacher training course in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) modern languages,  (d) physics,  (e) chemistry,  (f) history,  (g) primary teaching and  (h) ICT were successful in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the tables and shows the number of postgraduate applications and acceptances to Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses in England for  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) modern foreign languages,  (d) physics,  (e) chemistry,  (f) history,  (g) ICT and  (h) primary teaching for each year since 2001/02 for which complete data are available.
	
		
			  Postgraduate applications and acceptances to ITT courses 2001/02 to 2008/09, England 
			   2001/02  2002/03 
			  Subject of ITT  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted 
			 Mathematics 1,920 1,100 57 2,250 1,320 59 
			 English 3,210 1,740 54 3,660 2,000 54 
			 Modern Foreign Languages 2,560 1,440 56 2,510 1,490 60 
			 Physics 340 210 60 430 250 59 
			 Chemistry 730 410 56 760 440 58 
			 History 1,930 1,020 53 1,890 1.090 57 
			 ICT 860 450 52 1,390 620 45 
			 Primary (excluding middle) 14,200 6,610 47 16,690 7,770 47 
		
	
	
		
			   2003/04  2004/05 
			  Subject of ITT  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted 
			 Mathematics 2,610 1,660 64 2,920 1,710 59 
			 English 3,770 2,020 54 3,830 1,930 50 
			 Modern Foreign Languages 2,480 1,580 64 2,300 1,420 62 
			 Physics 480 320 66 510 310 60 
			 Chemistry 710 460 64 750 450 60 
			 History 1.920 1,120 58 1,910 1,010 53 
			 ICT 1,720 800 47 1,640 850 52 
			 Primary (excluding middle) 19,450 8,850 45 20,180 9,320 46 
		
	
	
		
			   2005/06  2006/07 
			  Subject of ITT  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted 
			 Mathematics 3,250 1,780 55 2,840 1,740 61 
			 English 4.040 1,850 46 4,140 1,780 43 
			 Modern Foreign Languages 2,220 1,330 60 2,060 1,310 64 
			 Physics 520 300 58 490 300 61 
			 Chemistry 770 430 57 730 460 63 
			 History 1,960 910 46 1,760 740 42 
			 ICT 1,620 870 54 1,440 840 58 
			 Primary (excluding middle) 19,960 9,110 46 20,000 8,540 43 
		
	
	
		
			   2007/08  2008/09( 1) 
			  Subject of ITT  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted  Number of applications  Number of acceptances  Proportion of applications which are accepted 
			 Mathematics 2,590 1,680 65 2,400 1,460 61 
			 English 3,810 1,730 45 3,240 1,450 45 
			 Modern Foreign Languages 1,810 1,260 70 1,740 1,150 66 
			 Physics 450 310 69 400 270 69 
			 Chemistry 690 470 68 630 430 68 
			 History 1,710 690 41 1,460 600 41 
			 ICT 1,120 760 68 1,010 660 66 
			 Primary (excluding middle) 19,070 8,330 44 17,980 7,990 44 
			 (1) Provisional end of year.  Notes :  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Some applications for Postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures.  3. Figures above include trainees to secondary courses and do not include trainees to middle year's courses.  4. Data are as at the end of the application process so are subject to change. 5. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary. 6. Modern languages include French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and other modern languages.   Source:  Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). 
		
	
	The figures are published on the GTTR website at:
	http://www.gttr.ac.uk/stats.html
	Finalised data relating to the number of applications and the proportion which have been accepted on courses in 2009 are not available until February 2010.
	The same information is not available for ITT courses via undergraduate or employment based routes.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of applicants for the TeachFirst programme were successful in each year since its inception.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Figures for the number of people applying to join the Teach First programme, and those going on to become qualified teachers are as follows:
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Cohort 1 2 3 4 5 6 
			 Number of applications in recruitment year 1,294 990 989 1,390 1,600 1,760 
			 Number of acceptances/graduates beginning summer institute 186 197 183 265 272 373 
			 Number of participants completing first year/achieving QTS 165 177 159 243 253 (1)364 
			 Percentage of participants completing first year/achieving QTS 89 90 87 92 93 (1)97 
			 (1) Provisional.  Source: Teach First.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) pregnancy and  (b) abortion rate for under-16 year old girls was in (i) 1999 and (ii) at the latest available date.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the (a) pregnancy and (b) abortion rate for under-16 year old girls was in (i) 1999 and (ii) at the latest available date. (268563)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth and/or stillbirth (a maternity) or a legal termination.
	The conception rate and conceptions leading to abortion rate for girls aged under 16 in England and Wales for 1999 and 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table. Figures for 2007 are provisional.
	
		
			  All conceptions and conceptions leading to abortion rate for girls aged under 16, England and Wales, 1999 and 2007 
			   Rate 
			  Year  All conceptions  Conceptions leading to abortion 
			 1999 8.3 4.4 
			 2007 8.3 5.1 
			  Notes: 1. Rate per 1,000 girls aged 13-15 2. Figures for 2007 are provisional

Vetting

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which members of his Ministerial team were subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check upon appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No member of the current ministerial team in the Department for Children, Schools and Families were subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check upon appointment.

Vocational Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which courses leading to vocational qualifications are available to 14 and 15 year olds in  (a) schools and  (b) further education colleges.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There are currently 646 vocationally-related qualifications, 123 national vocational qualifications, and one occupational qualification approved for use by learners under the age of 16 in institutions in the maintained sector in England. These qualifications can be delivered by both schools and further education colleges. A full list of approved qualifications and the age ranges for which they are approved can be accessed on the Department's website at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/section96

Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost to his predecessor Department of preparing the answer of 2 November 2005,  Official Report, columns 1207-11W, on science.

Jim Knight: It is estimated that the cost of preparing the reply to PQ 22930 was 2,700.
	 To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of those students who gained (a) a GCSE, (b) an A level and (c) an AS level in (i) biology or human biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics in each year since 1997 were educated in (A) the state sector and (B) the independent sector, broken down by grade; and if she will make a statement.
	The estimated breakdown for this PQ is:
	
		
			   Hours required  Cost to Department 
			  Planning 4.5 112.5 
			 Implementing production rules 0.5 12.5 
			 Writing syntax 4 100 
			
			  Producing figures (9 years  GCSE, AS Level and A Level) 93.96 2,349 
			  Producing figures (one year - GCSE, AS Level and A Level) 10.44 261 
			  Producing figures (one year) 3.48 87 
			 Run the required filters (maintained/independent sector) 0.32 8 
			 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 
			 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 
			 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 
			 Create tables 0.32 8 
			 Analysis of output 2 50 
			
			  Additional work 2.75 68.75 
			 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 1.5 37.5 
			 Personal QAing 1 25 
			 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 
			
			  QAing 3.5 87.5 
			  Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 
			
			  Signing off at SCS level 1 25 
			
			  Total 108.71 2,717.75

Young People: Apprentices

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people aged between 14 and 16 years are undertaking young apprenticeships.

Jim Knight: The Young Apprenticeship programme for 14 to 16 year olds is a successful pilot available in selected areas since 2004. A total of 17,012 young people are currently on a Young Apprenticeship programme8,090 as part of cohort 4, the current year 11 group who will be achieving this year, and 8,922 on cohort 5, the year 10 group which started last September.

Young People: Apprentices

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hours a week on average pupils on young apprenticeships in each industrial sector spent in a work setting in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Young Apprenticeship programme (YA) for 14 to 16-year-olds is a successful pilot available in selected areas since 2004. From September 2006 all YAs have undertaken a minimum of 50 days work experience, regardless of sector. The Sector Skills Council (SSCs) oversees the quality and certification of this process.
	There are a number of approved delivery models with many young people undertaking placements on a one day per week basis. However, on average 44 per cent. of YAs also use periods of block placement to gain work experience with employers or a mixture of both.
	An evaluation of the programme carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which covers the period September 2004 to July 2006 indicated that on average YA learners undertook between 10 and 53 days of work experience. These data cover a period before a 50 day minimum requirement was introduced.
	Monitoring of the fulfilment of placements is the responsibility of the lead partner within the YA partnerships which may be a school, work base learning provider or the delivery partner.

WALES

Environment Protection

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the progress of the proposed Environmental Protection and Waste Management Legislative Competence Order; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with the First Minister about the progress of legislative competence orders. I hope to present the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Legislative Competence Order for pre-legislative scrutiny in the next few weeks.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will delete paragraph 4.2 from his Department's publication Guidance on the Termination of Pregnancy: The Law and Clinical Practice in Northern Ireland; what recent representations he has received on the paragraph; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: This is a devolved matter; I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 851W.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what properties  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies have sold in each of the last five years; and how many have been sold for housing developments.

Shaun Woodward: The following table gives details of the number of properties sold by the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number of properties sold 
			  Financial year  Northern Ireland Office  Agencies 
			 2007-08 9 0 
			 2006-07 7 0 
			 2005-06 22 0 
			 2004-05 14 0 
			 2003-04 1 0 
			 Total 53 0 
		
	
	The Department holds no records that show that any of these properties have been sold for housing developments.
	The Northern Ireland Office's executive non-departmental bodies operate independently of Government. I would encourage the hon. Member to write to the respective chief executives when requesting details of operational matters. Details of the Northern Ireland Office's non-departmental public bodies can be found in the Northern Ireland Office 2008 Departmental Report:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/northern_ireland_office_departmental_report_2008.pdf

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

Shaun Woodward: My Department's offices are principally located in Northern Ireland where the Northern Ireland Executive has responsibility for taking forward the Sustainable Development agenda. We work in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive and Departments in taking forward this agenda, which does not at this stage include the adoption of the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Paul Goggins: The following table provides details of the laptop computers provided to Ministers, special advisers and civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office since 2005.
	
		
			   Ministers  Special advisers  Civil servants 
			   NumberNumberNumber   
			 2005-06 1 1,986 0  27 21,486 
			 2006-07 0  2 3,469 25 18,534 
			 2007-08 0  0  35 24,951 
			 2008-09 0  0  21 13,016

Departmental Lost Property

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost of replacing lost or stolen property from his Department was in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (excluding its Agencies and Executive NDPBs) has incurred no costs in replacing lost or stolen property in the last 12 months.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office groups expenditure for BlackBerrys and mobile phones together.
	Expenditure for the purchase of these items is posted against telecommunications expense headings which contain spend for other goods and services. Therefore extracting the purchase costs required could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	Total departmental spend, excluding Agencies and Executive NDPBs, on BlackBerry and mobile phone charges from 2005-06 to 2007-08, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (000) 
			 2005-06 136 
			 2006-07 124 
			 2007-08 78 
		
	
	The decrease in spend in 2007-08 reflects a new contract which has reduced line rental costs.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: Records for the number of mobile telephones and BlackBerrys are maintained on a rolling basis and therefore it is only possible to give an accurate picture of the total number currently in use.
	As of 1 April 2009, 28 BlackBerrys are being provided by the Department; One to Ministers, two to special advisers and 25 to civil servants. On the same date, 341 mobile phones are being provided, two to Ministers and 339 to civil servants.

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Shaun Woodward: All travel is undertaken in accordance with Departmental rules and guidance. Staff travelling standard class may not upgrade to first class.

Offensive Weapons

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people aged 16 to 18 years have been charged with violent offences involving the use of a knife in Northern Ireland since 2007.

Paul Goggins: These data are collated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have asked the chief constable to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prisons: Construction

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advance preparation work on the new Magilligan Prison is expected to be undertaken in the 2009-10 financial year.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) is procuring programme management, design and business case services to take forward the redevelopment of Magilligan Prison.
	Programme management services have been selected and will be in place by June. It is intended that the organisations responsible for design and business case services will be appointed and in place by July and August respectively.
	In addition, NIPS has established a project office to take forward a range of issues with the relevant bodies.
	In 2009-10 NIPS anticipates starting the design phase and preparing an initial draft of the outline business case.

Prisons: Food

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the policy of the Northern Ireland Prison Service is on whether food and other supplies for prisons should be purchased locally.

Paul Goggins: All food and other supplies for the Northern Ireland Prison Service are tendered under European competition and awarded in line with the European procurement directives and public contract regulations 2006 and amendments.
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service actively encourages local small and medium size enterprises to participate in procurement competitions in line with Northern Ireland public procurement policy.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many written questions from hon. Members on policing matters in Northern Ireland were answered via referrals to the Chief Constable in  (a) January and February 2008 and  (b) January and February 2009.

Paul Goggins: The Department changed its policy on answering police operational questions in September 2008. Prior to this date information requested was obtained from the Chief Constable and then included in a substantive answer. The Department now refers such questions to the Chief Constable for him to respond directly to the Member. A copy of the letter is then placed in the Library.
	In January and February of 2008 no questions were referred to the Chief Constable. The Department did, however, obtain information from the PSNI on 26 occasions over this period.
	In January and February of 2009, 27 questions were referred directly to the Chief Constable.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has lead responsibility for the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies.

Joan Ruddock: The lead responsibility for the advisory committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies (ACCAT) transferred from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to the Department of Energy and Climate Change following its creation in October 2008.

Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to attract private sector funding for his Department's programmes designed to improve the energy efficiency of domestic properties.

Joan Ruddock: Energy supply companies are required to meet carbon reduction targets by promoting the installation of energy efficiency measures under CERT. Insulation measures make up a significant percentage (62 per cent.) of energy suppliers' progress towards their targets to date (as end December 2008). We are currently consulting on expanding the CERT by 20 per cent. and on extending a CERT mechanism beyond March 2011 to 2012. We hope that these two proposals, in combination with work to improve the exchange of information between the insulation industry and energy suppliers, should help to generate greater continuity and confidence in the market and lead to appropriate investment.

Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the effectiveness of incentives to increase energy efficiency.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's package of policies and measures to tackle energy efficiency is reviewed on a regular basis to take account of latest evidence and data. We first published our Energy Efficiency Action Plan in 2004 and this was revised in 2007. The Government also undertook evaluations of their energy efficiency strategy during development of the 2006 Climate Change programme and the 2007 Energy White Paper.
	The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, currently under consultation, has provided a fresh opportunity to revisit our energy efficiency strategy. In doing so, our aim is to ensure the policies we put in place are capable of delivering the increased challenges over the next decade, particularly in light of the new legally-binding target to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent. by 2050.

Carbon Emissions: Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding has been provided through phase two of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each year since the programme was established.

Mike O'Brien: Since January 2007, we have provided the following amounts:
	
		
			   Funding committed () 
			 2006-07 119,289.60 
			 2007-08 8,917,084.54 
			 2008 to date 24,194,772.76 
			 March to June 2009 (forecast) 14,768,853.10 
			 Total 48 million

Carbon Emissions: Canada

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the full exploitation of the oil sands in Canada.

Joan Ruddock: Data contained in the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that the hypothetical full exploitation of energy in unconventional oil resources globally would release in excess of 2,670 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. The Government have not made a separate estimate for the oil sands of Canada.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will review his Department's policy in respect of electricity generation from coal-fired power stations.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 March 2009
	 Yes, we have publicly announced we are doing so.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by what dates he expects the consultations on carbon capture readiness and a new framework for coal-fired power stations to conclude; and how long after that he expects to make a decision on the construction of the proposed units at Kingsnorth power station.

Mike O'Brien: The response to the Towards Carbon Capture and Storage consultation which covered carbon capture readiness is due for publication shortly. The timetable for the planned new consultation on a new framework for coal fired power stations has not yet been set.
	I am not able to comment on the timing of the announcement of decisions in respect of live planning applications and therefore am unable to be precise about when a decision will be made on the proposed Kingsnorth power station following the conclusion of that consultation.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the tonnage of coal used in electricity generation in the UK in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The tonnage of coal used in electricity generation in the UK for 1997 to 2007 is given in the following table. Figures for 2008 will be published on 30 July 2009.
	
		
			   Coal used by UK electricity generation (thousand tonnes) 
			 1997 47,333 
			 1998 48,588 
			 1999 41,178 
			 2000 46,197 
			 2001 50,931 
			 2002 47,741 
			 2003 52,464 
			 2004 50,444 
			 2005 52,058 
			 2006 57,363 
			 2007 52,571 
			  Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2008, table 2.7, available at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/source/coal/page18529.html

Combined Heat and Power

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff of his Department work on matters relating to combined heat and power on a  (a) full-time equivalent and  (b) headcount basis.

Joan Ruddock: In order to respond flexibly to the needs of Government, resources are frequently redeployed as needed on key projects. At present, on a full-time equivalent basis, three staff in DECC are dedicated solely to combined heat and power. A far larger number of officers address issues partially related to combined heat and power, such as economic analysis, statistical analysis and the role of combined heat and power in a number of schemes and strategies such as the proposed Renewable Energy Strategy and the Heat and Energy Saving Strategies.

Committee on Climate Change: Finance

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Committee on Climate Change is for 2009-10.

Mike O'Brien: The 2009-10 Budget for the CCC will be agreed shortly as part of the overall DECC business planning process, subject to the DECC main estimate laid before Parliament after Budget Day.

Defence Nuclear Safety Committee

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the annual salary of the Chief Executive of the Defence Nuclear Safety Committee was in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what the  (a) final severance package and  (b) pension arrangements were for the previous Chief Executive of the Defence Nuclear Safety Committee.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	The Defence Nuclear Safety Committee is an advisory non-departmental public body and does not have a chief executive. The Committee is headed by a chairman who is neither salaried nor has a departure package nor pension arrangements. The chairman's remuneration is a daily fee of 315 and he is engaged on average for 14 days a year.

Departmental Buildings

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what buildings are owned or operated by his Department under a private finance initiative (PFI) arrangement; and which companies are involved with each such PFI arrangement.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what properties his Department has sold in each of the last five years; and how many have been sold for housing developments.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department since its creation; and at what cost.

Mike O'Brien: The Department uses laptop computers provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The detailed process of reallocating resources from these Departments has not yet been completed and the numbers of laptops allocated for the Department's use cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate expense.

Departmental Detergents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by his Department have been tested on animals.

Mike O'Brien: Since its inception, the Department has made use of BERR's and Defra's facilities management systems. Given that, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 2 April,  Official Report, column reference 1294W and by my hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column reference 1440W.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: Since the Department was established, three members of staff have been disciplined as a result of a poor sickness record (poor attendance), one of whom has been dismissed.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department currently uses IT systems provided by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. There has not been a detailed analysis by organisation and division of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department currently uses IT systems provided by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, but in purchasing future systems, my Department has been specifying equipment with an EPEAT Gold rating to minimise the impact on carbon dioxide emissions.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department has been since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department currently uses IT systems provided by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs under IT services contracts with Fujitsu and IBM respectively. Server capacity and utilisation management are the responsibility of these companies and statistics are not held at a divisional level.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate has been made of the proportion of personal computers in each of his Department's offices that are turned off  (a) overnight,  (b) at weekends and  (c) during holiday periods; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I am informed that in the Department, most personal computers are routinely turned off overnight, at weekends and during holiday periods. The exceptions are a small percentage of personal computers that are used for overnight processing or monitoring purposes. There is an automated checking process to identify and turn off any personal computers inadvertently left on and unused.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions are in use in each division of his Department; how many such devices have a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department currently uses IT systems provided by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. There has not been a detailed analysis by organisation and division of the allocation of printers; however most printers, including multi-function devices, enable two-sided printing. Printers are allocated on about a one printer to 30 staff ratio.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department currently uses IT systems provided by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The computers provided under this arrangement are compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard.

Departmental Lost Property

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what property has been lost or stolen from his Department since its creation; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property.

Mike O'Brien: There have been none notified since DECC came into formal existence.

Departmental Manpower

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the annual staffing costs of his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The Administration budget for DECC in 2008-09 was 98 million.

Departmental Marketing

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which external bodies were engaged by his Department to contribute to the design of the Department's logo; and what the monetary value was of each contract awarded for such work.

Mike O'Brien: COI designed the departmental logo at a cost of 11,663.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department since its establishment.

Mike O'Brien: The Department uses BlackBerrys and Mobile Phones provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The detailed process of reallocating resources from these Departments has not yet been completed and the numbers of devices allocated with an associated cost analysis for the Department's use cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate expense.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department since its establishment.

Mike O'Brien: The Department uses Blackberrys and Mobile Phones provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The detailed process of reallocating resources from these Departments has not yet been completed and the numbers of devices allocated to the Department's use cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate expense.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much capital spending is planned to be brought forward by his Department to  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change brought forward 50 million of capital expenditure on the Warm Front programme from 2010-11 into 2009-10 and received additional funding of 50 million for 2008-09 and 50 million for 2009-10, also on the Warm Front programme, as announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 404W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under each budget heading his Department incurred in the meeting of energy and oil Ministers in London on 18 and 19 December 2008.

Mike O'Brien: The meeting in London on 18 and 19 December 2008 of International Energy and Oil Ministers cost the Department 516,200.28. This figure is broken down by the following categories of expenditure:
	
		
			
			 Event organisation and logistical arrangements (1)255,870.75 
			 Hire of conference venue and hotel accommodation for delegates 130,289.53 
			 Production of analytical reports and research 130,040.00 
			 (1) This figure includes event management, security, A/V equipment, interpretation, design and set up of the conference venue, catering, transportation and equipment used during the event.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: DECC's capital budgets for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 are 1,709 million, 1,771 million and 1,767 million respectively. The Government have not set Departments' capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (public sector net investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Public Relations

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn, Hatfield of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 297W, on departmental public relations, with which public relations consultancies his Department has entered into contracts since it was established.

Mike O'Brien: Kreab Gavin Anderson (formerly Gavin Anderson and Company) is contracted to DECC to provide expert strategic advice on the renewable energy finance community.

Departmental Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the  (a) printing and production and  (b) other costs to his Department of producing its forthcoming (i) departmental annual report and (ii) autumn performance report.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has an estimate in place as follows:
	 (1) Annual report
	 (a) Print and production: 6,000
	 (b) Design: 12,000
	 (2) Autumn Performance Report
	 (a) Print and production 4,000
	 (b) Design 8,000

Departmental Reorganisation

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of his Department's staff were based in  (a) his Department's London offices,  (b) the London offices of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (c) the London offices of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 March 2009.

Mike O'Brien: As at 1 March 2009 there were approximately 106 staff in the Department's London office and of those transferring to DECC from BERR and DEFRA there were approximately 320 in the London offices of DEFRA and approximately 480 in the London offices of BERR.

Departmental Responsibilities

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has lead responsibility for  (a) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and  (b) the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Mike O'Brien: DECC has lead responsibility for the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, and BERR has lead responsibility for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on holding departmental away days at locations other than departmental premises.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has no specific policy on holding away days in non-departmental premises other than guidelines about ensuring value for money in all instances. Departmental premises are not always of sufficient size to accommodate the number of people attending such events.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department since its inception; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided such training.

Mike O'Brien: Nothing.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and  (b) the UK Atomic Energy Authority is in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold the information requested as the bodies covered by the question are managed by their own estates teams.
	My officials have asked the chief executives of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the UK Atomic Energy Authority to write to the hon. Member, and copies of their letters will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Energy Supply

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2160W, on energy supply, for what reasons he does not plan to place in the Library a copy of  (a) the agenda and  (b) the minutes of the meeting he held with the main energy supply companies on 17 November 2008.

Mike O'Brien: Ministers meet regularly with stakeholders as part of the commercial and policy development process, and these meetings are not public meetings.

Energy Supply: Competition

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the adequacy levels of competition in the markets to supply  (a) liquefied petroleum gas and  (b) heating oil to domestic consumers.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 March 2009
	 The supply of liquefied petroleum gas and heating oil is subject to UK competition law. Ensuring that those markets operate freely and fairly is a matter for the independent competition authorities.

Energy: EU Action

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on liberalising the European energy market.

Mike O'Brien: On 10 October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended the Energy Council which agreed a common position on the Commission's third package of measures on the internal market. Since then the Presidency has been in negotiation with the European Parliament and the Commission to agree a final text.
	The representatives of the different institutions reached agreement at the end of March and we expect the legislation to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council this summer. Member states will then have eighteen months to comply with the new requirements.
	The deal should improve the functioning of EU energy markets, encourage the investments needed for secure and sustainable energy supplies, protect consumers and promote energy efficiency.

Energy: Finance

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has allocated under each budget heading for its expenditure on work relating to  (a) nuclear energy,  (b) combined heat and power and  (c) renewable energy in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: DECC allocated budgets in 2008-09 for  (a) nuclear energy, 3 million;  (b) combined heat and powerseparate figures are not available except at disproportionate cost; and  (c) low carbon and renewable energy demonstration through the national Environmental Transformation Fund, 76.5 million.

Energy: Meters

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in  (a) England and  (b) Hemel Hempstead constituency have (i) electric and (ii) gas prepayment meters.

Mike O'Brien: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) monitors, and publishes information about gas and electricity prepayment customers. However, prepayment data are published for England, Scotland and Wales or, by individual energy supplier, not on a parliamentary constituency basis. In September 2008, the last period for which data have been published, the number of customers in England using prepayment meters was two million for gas and 2.9 million for electricity.

Energy: Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many responses to the Heat and Energy Saving Strategy Consultation had been received on the latest date for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HES) Consultation was launched on 12 February 2009. As of 7 April the consultation website had received over 40 responses. Respondents are free to change or even delete their responses until the website closes so these responses are not yet officially completed.
	To accompany the formal written HES consultation, and also consultations on the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP), a series of stakeholder events were held across Great Britain during March. These were part of the open and active consultation process to raise awareness of the proposals and encourage responses. Feedback from these events will contribute to the consultation responses.

Energy: Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much he expects his Department's Heat and Energy Saving Strategy Consultation to cost.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Mr. Mike O'Brien) on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 499-500W.

Energy: Syria

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has discussed energy policy with his Syrian counterpart; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: There have been no ministerial discussions on energy issues with Syrian counterparts since the Department was formed.

Enrichment Holdings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department are engaged in work arising from his Department's shareholding in Enrichment Holdings Limited.

Mike O'Brien: Three staff spend part of their time working on the shareholding in Enrichment Holdings Ltd. Taken together; the total time commitment on the shareholding for all three of them currently equates to no more than two days per week of one person's time.

Enrichment Holdings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of the Government's shareholding in Enrichment Holdings Limited.

Mike O'Brien: As part of the portfolio of the Shareholder Executive, the value of the Government's holding in Enrichment Holdings Ltd. is assessed regularly and such valuations are commercially confidential.

Fossil Fuels: Government Assistance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much Government financial support was provided to fossil fuel suppliers in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: The Government have supported coal producers through coal operating aid (2000-2002) and coal investment aid (2003-2008). Payments were made as follows:
	
		
			
			 2000-01 87,339,268 
			 2001-02 62,357,501 
			 2002-03 12,474,226 
			 2003-04 404,393 
			 2004-05 21,789,907 
			 2005-06 19,490,000 
			 2006-07 9,662,879 
			 2007-08 422,965 
			 2008-09 1,449,440

Fuel Poverty

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken together with local authorities to reduce levels of fuel poverty in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: Since 2000 over 20 billion has been spent on fuel poverty benefits and programmes.
	This includes: the Warm Front Scheme in England, which has assisted 1.8 million households; the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the Decent Homes Programme, primarily addressing the energy efficiency of households; and Winter Fuel and Cold Weather Payments to increase household incomes. The Warm Front scheme alone, has in the 2008-09 year, assisted almost 235,000 households spending almost 340 million on measures.
	The combination of national and local programmes and delivery through local government, partnerships and area based schemes can help target areas of particular need. We are currently consulting on the Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP), where we propose to support energy efficiency measures at a local, community level, by fostering new and existing partnerships between energy companies, local authorities, voluntary organisations and other such bodies, to offer support to poorer communities on a house-by-house, street-by-street basis.
	As part of the Local Government Framework, National Indicator 187 (Tackling Fuel Poverty) has been designed to measure the proportion of households on income related benefits for whom an energy assessment of their housing has been carried out and have a SAP of below 35 or greater than 65. We are encouraged that 40 out of 150 Local Area Agreements (LAAs) have included NI187 as one of their 35 local improvement targets and have set challenging but achievable targets. All local authorities will have to report on progress each year.
	Responsibility for fuel poverty policy is a devolved matter. Ministers across Government and the Devolved Nations discuss policy to tackle fuel poverty and we publish an annual report which includes information on progress in the Devolved Administrations.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority: ICT

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what internal IT projects Ofgem  (a) has commissioned in the last five years and  (b) plans to commission in the next 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: This is an operational matter for Ofgem. I have asked them to write to the hon. Member.

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department has gathered for benchmarking purposes of the percentage of circulator pumps installed in domestic properties with an A rated energy label in  (a) Denmark and  (b) Germany.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	Defra does not hold the specific information requested. However, information from the Energy using Products preparatory study suggests that A rated circulators represented about 5 per cent. of sales across Europe in 2006.

Home Energy Saving Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what proportion of the 910 million home energy saving fund announced on 11 September 2008 he expects to be spent in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10;
	(2)  by what date he expects the first payment from the 910 million home energy saving fund announced on 11 September 2008 to have been made.

Joan Ruddock: On 11 September 2008 the Prime Minister announced the Home Energy Saving Programme which included a 20 per cent. uplift to the level of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and a new obligation, the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). These schemes operate as obligations on the energy suppliers (and the electricity generators in the case of CESP) to achieve carbon savings by encouraging households to take-up energy saving measures.
	The figure of 910 million refers to the estimated extra investment suppliers and generators will need to make in order to deliver these additional obligations. No Government funding is involved.
	In terms of CERT, Ofgem, the scheme administrator, does not collect data on energy supplier spend. However, based on the costs of the measures promoted by suppliers, we estimate that the overall spend by suppliers on delivering the 20 per cent. increase to the CERT obligations will be around 560 million. However, we expect the CESP to lead to supplier and generator investment of some 350 million by 2012.
	The proposals for CERT and CESP are currently subject to public consultation.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the merits of settling coal health claims handled by firms of solicitors whose majority partners have been subject to professional disciplinary action over matters directly related to such claims.

Mike O'Brien: None to date. The Department will consider the matter further when Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal's written rulings in respect of the Beresfords and Raleys cases are published.

Lighting: Carbon Emissions

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average level of carbon dioxide emissions caused in commercial buildings by electrical lighting being left on outside office hours in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Department for Energy and Climate Change does not hold the data necessary to make such an estimate.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent  (a) under each (i) stream and (ii) phase and  (b) for each technology under the Low Carbon Building Programme (A) in total and (B) in each region since the scheme started; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The total amount spent  (a) under each (i) stream and (ii) phase under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is shown as follows. Further details relating to technologies under the Low Carbon Building Programme relating to regions have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programm e   phase 1 
			  Technology  Number of applications approved  Paid Amount () 
			  H ouseholder streamspent per technology in total   
			 Air source heat pump 18 16,200.00 
			 Biomass room heater/stove (automated wood pellet feed ) 10 5,297.55 
			 Ground source heat pump 429 513,541.13 
			 Small scale hydro 4 15,500.00 
			 Solar photovoltaic 1,342 5,653,248.99 
			 Solar thermal hot water 4,545 1,816,842.02 
			 Wind turbine 623 1,413,417.89 
			 Wood fuelled boiler system 320 471,642.21 
			 Grand total 7,291 9,905,689.79 
		
	
	Details relating to regional spend under Phase 1 have been placed in the Libraries the House.
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 2 
			  Technology type  Total committed  (  )  Project number  Total paid  (  )  Project number 
			  Scotland 
			 Solar photovoltaic 803,694.56 43 404,874.47 17 
			 Solar thermal hot water 595,940.93 27 33,000.00 1 
			 Wind turbines 57,472.20 3 12,358.34 1 
			 Ground source heat pumps 199,724.52 5  0 
			 Wood fuelled boiler systems 114,726.00 3  0 
			 Total 1,771,558.21 81 450,232.81 19 
			  
			  Northern Ireland 
			 Solar photovoltaic 271,773.90 15 189,447.40 10 
			 Solar thermal hot water 33,408.06 3  0 
			 Wind turbines 95,162.93 5 10,624.43 1 
			 Ground source heat pumps 16,795.91 1  0 
			 Wood fuelled boiler systems 14,157.50 2 6,807.50 1 
			 Total 431,298.30 26 206,879.33 12 
			  
			  Wales 
			 Solar photovoltaic 921,420.39 52 405,470.51 28 
			 Solar thermal hot water 793,269.96 36 70,838.15 8 
			 Wind turbines 58,602.33 4 5,940.00 1 
			 Ground source heat pumps 207,415.63 8 78,124.00 3 
			 Wood fuelled boiler systems 25,972.45 2 25,972.43 2 
			 Total 2,006,680.76 102 586,345.09 42 
			  
			  England 
			 Solar photovoltaic 22,387,285.69 982 6,246,756.91 363 
			 Solar thermal hot water 2,557,184.12 238 429,439.65 71 
			 Wind turbines 1,312,428.76 102 296,755.95 33 
			 Ground source heat pumps 3,003,200.98 150 525,787.67 45 
			 Wood fuelled boiler systems 325,988.51 21 128,576.45 9 
			 Total 29,586,088.06 1,493 7,627,316.63 521 
			  
			  UK 
			 Solar photovoltaic 24,384,174.54 1,092 7,246,549.29 418 
			 Solar thermal hot water 3,979,803.07 304 533,277.80 80 
			 Wind turbines 1,523,666.22 114 325,678.72 36 
			 Ground source heat pumps 3,427,137.04 164 603,911.67 48 
			 Wood fuelled boiler systems 480,844.46 28 161,356.38 12 
			 Total 33,795,625.33 1,702 8,870,773.86 594

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on press monitoring services since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The amount spent on press monitoring since the Department's inception is 40,198.42.

Members: Correspondence

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 23 October 2008 from the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 March 2009
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member on 21 March.

Ministerial Duties

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what public engagements each of the Ministers in his Department have attended since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: Public engagements undertaken by Ministers in the Department for Energy and Climate Change since its creation are set out as follows.
	 Secretary of State:
	KPMG Speech27 October 2008
	Environment Agency Annual Conference Speech25 November 2008
	Visit to National Grid in Wokingham26 November 2008
	CBI Conference: Speech2 December 2008
	Energy Speech at Imperial College9 December 2008
	Panel discussion with South African Minister at the Foreign Press Association16 December 2008
	Pre-Energy Meeting Dinner at Lancaster House18 December 2008
	London Energy Meeting19 December 2008
	Launch of the Consultation of the Severn Tidal Power Project26 January 2009
	British Council Climate Change Launch4 February 2009
	Oil and Gas All Party Group Reception9 February 2009
	PILOT Dinner9 February 2009
	PILOT10 February 2009
	Heat and Energy Savings Launch12 February 2009
	Launch of the Church of England's Carbon Fast25 February 2009
	DFID Conference: Securing our Common Future9 March 2009
	Nuclear APPG Energy Speech10 March 2009
	Renewable Energy Investors Dinner16 March 2009
	Reception to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Antartic Treaty23 March 2009
	 Mike O'Brien:
	Climate Change Forum Dinner9 October 2009
	Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farm visit21 October 2008
	British Wind Energy Association BWEA30 Conference22 October 2008
	Coal Forum Meeting23 October 2008
	Reception: The Future of UK Coal3 November 2008
	Parliamentary ReceptionPolice Dependants' Trust5 November 2008
	Energetix Genlec Micro-CHP launch event10 November 2008
	Ministerial media drinks reception11 November 2008
	Dinner: Worcester Bosch and Intelligent Energy Group12 November 2008
	Chatham House Speech17 November 2008
	The Climate Change Forum17 November 2008
	EEF Low Carbon Economy Event19 November 2008
	Combined Heat and Power Association Annual Conference19 November 2008
	Green Business Events27 November 2008
	Lunch: Coal Industry Society1 December 2008
	Severn Tidal Power Regional Forum2 December 2008
	Christmas Luncheon: Police Dependants' Trust3 December 2008
	3M Parliamentary Dinner3 December 2008
	Nuclear Industry Association Energy Choices conference4 December 2008
	Industry Forum meeting (and lunch): Responsible Corporates and Energy Use4 December 2008
	Keynote Speech: Aldersgate Group4 December 2008
	Offshore visit to Buzzard Oil Rig9 December 2008
	Speech: Micropower Council Christmas Reception10 December 2008
	Reception: The NHS Confederation Christmas Reception10 December 2008
	Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Christmas Reception11 December 2008
	Launch of the Consultation of the Severn Tidal Power Project26 January 2009
	Parliamentary Forum Severn Tidal Power26 January 2009
	Nuclear Development Forum27 January 2009
	Visit to Sizewell29 January 2009
	Chatham House Speech5 February 2009
	Nuclear Lunch: Duke of York5 February 2009
	Chatham House SpeechMiddle East9 February 2009
	Oil and Gas All Party Group Reception9 February 2009
	Visit Torness Power Station10 February 2009
	Unite parliamentary group11 February 2009
	Coal UK Annual Conference26 February 2009
	Nuclear Industry Association Supply Chain Speech3 March
	Options for a New Britain12 March 2009
	Areva Supply Chain Event16 March 2009
	Renewable Energy Investors Dinner16 March 2009
	Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) International Seminar18/19 March 2009
	Parliamentary Forum Severn Tidal23 March 2009
	Nuclear Industry Association Dinner23 March 2009
	Renewable Energy Association speech26 March 2009
	Ports Investment Seminar30 March 2009
	UK Coal Forum31 March 2009
	Oil and Gas Trade Association Meeting1 April 2009
	Regional Visit for Severn Tidal2 April 2009
	 Lord Hunt:
	Low Carbon Cars International Experts Meeting27 October 2008
	Climate Change Forum Dinner17 November 2008
	Micropower Generation Council Reception10 December 2008
	New Local Government Network Energy, Climate Change and Innovation Event13 January 2009
	Energy Research Partnership14 January 2009
	Launch of Heat and Energy Saving Strategy12 February 2009
	Low Carbon Industrial Strategy Summit6 March 2009
	Sainsbury dinner on Climate Change and the Environment17 March 2009
	Heat and Energy Saving Consultation Stakeholder Workshop19 March 2009
	 Joan Ruddock:
	Lacors Climate Change conference21 October 2008
	Visit to Citizens Advice Bureau23 October 2008
	Climate Wise stakeholder event24 November 2008
	Act on C02 event27 November 2008
	National Energy Efficiency Awards2 December 2008
	Climate Change speaking engagement at Japanese Embassy15 December 2008
	Brokering a Global Deal on Climate Change speaking engagement26 January 2009
	National Right to Fuel Campaign stakeholder forum4 February 2009
	Heat and Energy Saving Launch12 February 2009
	Big Energy Shift event14 February 2009
	Sustainable Development Commission public sector event23 February 2009
	UK Green Building Council speaking event5 March 2009
	Middlesbrough Climate Change conference11 March 2009
	OECD event in Paris12 March 2009
	The Municipal Journal's National Conference on Carbon Reduction Commitment24 March 2009
	CERT workshop25 March 2009
	Npower's Green SOS finale25 March 2009
	Westminster Sustainable Business Forum26 March 2009
	Energy Saving Trust stakeholder event31 March 2009

National Grid

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many reported breakdowns there were in the national grid network in each year for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: The following table shows the number of unplanned outages of the GB electricity transmission system which led to customer disconnection between 1991-92 and 2007-08. The table also shows the amount of power in megawatt hours (MWh) lost in each of those years. The data are taken from National Grid's annual transmission performance reports.
	
		
			   Total MWh lost  Total number of events 
			 1991-92 407 33 
			 1992-93 1,210 52 
			 1993-94 1,051 19 
			 1994-95 518 34 
			 1995-96 311 23 
			 1996-97 215 33 
			 1997-98 614 28 
			 1998-99 859 33 
			 1999-2000 587 23 
			 2000-01 1,404 20 
			 2001-02 699 29 
			 2002-03 415 26 
			 2003-04 1,329 27 
			 2004-05 1,119 28 
			 2005-06 1,939 28 
			 2006-07 511 25 
			 2007-08 1,675 49

National Grid: Weather

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to protect the national grid from extreme solar weather events.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 30 March 2009
	National Grid (NGET) is aware of the phenomena of extreme solar weather events and began preparations for the next peak in 2011-12 some years ago. NGET has procedures in place to improve the resilience of the network which include putting their field force on standby and ensuring that enough reactive power is available (a technical service provided by generators which helps manage voltage fluctuationsa possible consequence of both a conventional and severe solar storm).
	The electricity networks are designed to provide a level of resilience that would cope with incidents that are potentially more severe than those that may be caused by a solar flare. Similarly, Government emergency planning arrangements are in place and tested to be able to cope with a complete shutdown of the electricity network. There is therefore no requirement for additional resilience or emergency response measures to deal with any potential disruption due specifically to a solar flare.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of Crown Estate rents on trends in investment in offshore gas storage infrastructure projects.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 March 2009
	None. The cost of the lease will be a matter for negotiation between the Crown Estate, acting in accordance with its statutory framework, and the developer.

Natural Gas: Storage

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the levels of employment that would result from the liquefied natural gas facility on Anglesey and the gas storage facility at Preesall coming on-stream.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 2 April 2009
	I have not made any such assessment. However, the facilities on Anglesey and at Preesall would make a valuable contribution to the security of the UK's gas supplies if they were to come forward.

Natural Gas: Storage

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the changes in the ability to import and store gas that would result from the liquefied natural gas facility on Anglesey combined with the proposed gas storage facility at Preesall, Lancashire coming on stream.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 2 April 2009
	The Preesall gas storage facility would potentially provide approximately one billion cubic meters of gas storage capacity, making a valuable contribution to UK gas supplies. The proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Anglesey would provide a welcome increase in the amount and diversity of the UK's gas import capacity.

Natural Gas: Storage

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of the current level of availability of finance on the delivery of new gas storage projects.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 2 April 2009
	The current financial climate makes raising funding for gas storage developments, like other projects, more difficult for some smaller developers but this is less of an issue for the larger ones. We are working closely with the industry to ensure that they make the most of alternative funding sources including the European Investment Bank.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Land

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the market value of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites at  (a) Wylfa,  (b) Bradwell and  (c) Oldbury; and by what date he expects these sites to have been sold.

Mike O'Brien: The NDA is currently in the process of auctioning parcels of land adjacent to the licensed sites it owns at Wylfa, Bradwell and Oldbury.
	It would be inappropriate at this point to disclose the estimated market value of that land or the current highest bids. The auction will end once a period of 24 hours has elapsed without a bid on any of the three lots. Once the auction is complete the NDA will make a statement.

Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements have been put in place for nuclear plant operators to set aside ring-fenced financial provision for the long-term onsite storage of spent fuel discharged from licensed reactors; and which regulator is responsible for ensuring necessary encapsulation of spent fuel at site is carried out.

Mike O'Brien: The long-term storage of spent fuel on licensed nuclear sites is the responsibility of the operator, and is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many times the Justification Co-ordination Committee for the Proposals for New Nuclear Reactors has met; which bodies are represented on the Committee; and if he will publish the Committee's agendas and minutes on his Department's website.

Mike O'Brien: The Justification Co-ordination Committee has met three times, on 17 June and 27 November 2008 and 10 March 2009. The bodies represented are my Department, the statutory consultees (Health and Safety Executive, Food Standards Agency, Health Protection Agency, Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Department for the Environment (Northern Ireland)), the Devolved Administrations, the Department for Transport and the Department of Health.
	Material relating to the new nuclear Justification process, including meeting minutes, are available on my Department's website at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/nuclear/whitepaper/actions/justification/page45386.html.
	The November 2008 meeting took the form of a discussion of the Department's consultation document on the Nuclear Industry Association's application to justify new nuclear power stations, which was published on 17 December. No official record of the meeting was kept, although after the meeting we sent JCC members an e-mail confirming the meeting's conclusion that they should send us any final comments on the document. I have previously placed on the website, and in the House Library, a copy of the consultation document. This explains the part played by the JCC in helping my Department consider the NIA's application and in identifying where further information was needed. The questions which we asked as a result of this process, and the NIA's revised application, were also published as part of the consultation document.

Nuclear Power

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for future levels of nuclear energy generation in the UK.

Mike O'Brien: In January 2008 the Government published the nuclear White Paper which explains that new nuclear should have a role in the UK's future energy mix.
	The Government are now taking active steps to facilitate nuclear new build as set out in the nuclear White Paper. No upper limit on the number of nuclear power stations that might come forward has been set. In the White Paper, the Government also explained how it was feasible that the first new nuclear power station might start generation around 2018.

Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the evidential basis is for the statement in the Prime Minister's speech on nuclear energy on 17 March 2009 that the complete lifecycle emissions from nuclear power are only between two and six per cent. of those of gas for every unit of electricity generated.

Mike O'Brien: The evidential basis for that figure is set out in the Sustainable Development Commission paper reference 'The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon Economy, Paper 2: Reducing CO2 Emissions - Nuclear and the Alternatives, March 2006', taken from the nuclear consultation document 'The role of nuclear power in a low carbon UK economy, May 2007' and as quoted in that document and illustrated in figure 2.1 on page 49.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to announce the process by which the auction of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites at Wylfa, Bradwell and Oldbury is to be conducted; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The process for the sale of land adjacent to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's sites at Wylfa, Bradwell and Oldbury was set out by the NDA in a press release on 26 November 2008. This is available on the NDA's website at:
	http://www.nda.gov.uk/news/land-disposal.cfm
	The process is now well under way. The auction will end once a period of 24 hours has elapsed without a bid on any of the three lots. Once the auction is complete, the NDA will make a statement.

Nuclear Power: Conferences

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place on his Department's website  (a) a list of all invitees and  (b) copies of all speeches and presentations made to the international nuclear fuel cycle conference at Lancaster House on 17 March.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 March 2009
	The International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference at Lancaster House (17-18( )March) was jointly organised by FCO and DECC. It was intended to promote further dialogue between supplier states and recipient statesnotably, the so-called 'nuclearising' stateson 'securing safe access to peaceful power'.
	Where speakers have given permission, copies of their speeches and presentations to the Conference are being placed on the FCO website. The conference speech given by the Prime Minster is, of course, already in the public domain and can be found on the Number 10 website.
	We shall also place a full list of participating states, NGOs and Parliamentarians on the FCO website.

Nuclear Power: Consultants

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1329-30, on nuclear power: consultants, what proportion of the amount of each contract had been recovered in fees on the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion of the monetary value of each contract he expects to be recovered under fees regulations.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has engaged a range of external bodies and individuals to assist it with various technical aspects, process assurance and organisation. The proportion value of each consultancy contract recovered in fees as of 31 December 2008, and the percentage value expected to be recovered under the fee regulations is as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Contractors: (listed in columns 1431W)  Cost  Amount recovered at 31 December 2008  The proportion value of each contract recovered  Recoverable 
			 IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) 229,879.00 230,267.61 100 100 
			 Washington E and C Ltd 70,000.00 25,000.00 36 100 
			 EPRI 57,144.00 13,471.60 24 100 
			 Health Protection agency (formerly NRPB) 16,564.40 16,560.81 100 100 
			 Morson International 14,000.00 8,231.70 59 100 
			 Imperial College London 800.00 800.00 100 100 
			 OECD-NEA 352,312.84 39,672.30 11 100 
			 AMEC NNC 19,314.00 6.037.80 31 100 
			 Atkins Nuclear 22,483.02 4,905.48 22 100 
			 Other Contractors (used since) 
			 DYCODA, LLC 10,000.00 6,499.50 65 100 
			 Jacobsen Engineering Ltd. 104,400.00 0.00 0 100 
			 Serco Assurance 59,975.00 58,010.92 97 100 
			 University of Liverpool 2,605.81 2,606.07 100 100 
			 VTT Technical Research Centre Finland 66,600.00 70,403.02 106 100 
			 Process Review Board: (column 1432W) 
			 David Hughes 12,500.00 15,683.95 125 100 
			 John Raine 15,016.00 11,508.21 77 100 
			 Bernard Whittle 12,155.00 8,565.60 70 100 
			 Phillip Woodward 12,155.00 7,685.20 63 100 
			 Project Assurance Officer: (column 1432W) 
			 James Furness 29,500.00 3,848.96 13 100 
		
	
	Additional costs above contract value for VTT and David Hughes were incurred as a result of contract extension.
	The variance on the IAEA contract is due to currency exchange rate and bank charges.
	Values in table are contract values not annual costs.

Nuclear Power: North West

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to support the provision of nuclear power in the North West.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 24 March 2009
	It is our policy to facilitate new nuclear build and we are taking active steps to do that, as set out in the Nuclear White Paper and the update that we published in January 2009.
	The Strategic Siting Assessment will determine those sites that are strategically suitable for new build.
	The Department, through the West Cumbria Strategic Forum, engages with this sub-region of the North West on various issues and we have encouraged their participation in recent consultations and reports to ensure that the areas views on new nuclear are understood and considered.

Nuclear Power: Regulation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells, of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1138W, on nuclear power: regulation, how many pages there are in the review of nuclear regulation by Dr Tim Stone to which he refers.

Mike O'Brien: 38 pages.

Nuclear Research Advisory Council

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the  (a) final departure package and  (b) pension arrangements were for the previous Chief Executive of the Nuclear Research Advisory Council;
	(2)  what the salary of the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Research Advisory Council has been in each of the last 10 years.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	The Nuclear Research Advisory Council is an advisory non-departmental public body and does not have a chief executive. The Council is headed by a chairman who is neither salaried nor has a departure package nor pension arrangements. The chairman's remuneration is a daily fee of 315 and he is engaged on average for 17 days a year.

Nuclear Trust

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the work of the Nuclear Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Nuclear Trust owns the Nuclear Liabilities Fund which is responsible for meeting decommissioning cost of British Energy's existing nuclear power stations, together with defuelling costs and certain British Energy uncontracted liabilities. The Shareholder Executive advises the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the Nuclear Liabilities Fund's holdings as part of its role of managing a portfolio of public sector bodies on behalf of Government. The work of the shareholder executive is set out in its annual report.

Oil: Syria

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of oil imported to the United Kingdom originated in Syria in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The following table shows the proportion of UK imports of crude oil and finished petroleum products from Syria from 2003-07.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Crude oil  Petroleum products  Overall 
			 2003 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			 2004 0.3 0.0 0.2 
			 2005 1.4 0.2 0.9 
			 2006 0.6 0.0 0.4 
			 2007 1.0 0.0 0.6 
			  Source: International Energy Agency.

Power Failures

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) planned and  (b) unplanned power cuts there have been by (i) region and (ii) London borough in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 March 2009
	A breakdown of planned and unplanned interruptions (counting each household or meter point without power as one interruption) for the last five years is shown in the following table.
	The data shown are for EDF London Power Network (LPN) (the entire London distribution service area). Data by borough are not collected.
	
		
			  EDF (LPN)  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 Unplanned interruptions 686,000 816,000 709,000 775,000 770,000 
			 Pre-arranged interruptions 18,000 20,000 21,000 18,000 25,000

Power Stations: Construction

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) gas,  (b) coal and  (c) oil-fired power stations he expects to begin being constructed in each of the next five years.

Mike O'Brien: There is currently 6.7 GW of gas-fired capacity and 0.9 GW of gasified coal capacity with planning consent. Time scales for construction are a matter for the companies concerned. However, the Department publishes an overview of generation capacity development in its annual Energy Markets Outlook Report, which is available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/energymarketsoutlook/page41839.html
	Copies of the report are also available in the Libraries of the House.

Power Stations: Planning Permission

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what requests his Department has received under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: Applications DECC has received under S36 of the Electricity Act 1989 are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Date of application  Company/location  Type  Maximum output (MW) 
			 February 2009 Helius Energy plc, Bristol Dock, Avonmouth Biomass 100 
			 January 2009 Centrica (RBW) Ltd., Race Bank, Greater Wash Offshore wind farm 620 
			 December 2008 Centrica (DSW) Ltd., Docking Shoal, Greater Wash Offshore wind farm 540 
			 December 2008 Npower Renewables Ltd., Carnedd Wen, Powys Onshore wind farm 130-250 
			 October 2008 (withdrawn February 2009) Marshland Windfarm Ltd., Norfolk Onshore wind farm 57

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the increase in the level of biomass crops required to meet the UK's renewables energy strategy target for 2020.

Mike O'Brien: Analysis undertaken for the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) consultation document suggested that to meet our 2020 target, we may need about a quarter of the UK's renewable energy to come from biomass-fuelled heat and electricity. A range of biomass sources will be required, including purpose-grown energy crops, wood, and organic wastes such as wood and food waste, manure and slurry. The RES consultation document referred to a previous estimate that there is potential to plant an additional 350,000 hectares of energy crops across the UK by 2020. An updated analysis will be published in the UK Renewable Energy Strategy, which is due in the summer.

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the biomass needed by 2020 to comply with the UK renewable energy strategy he estimates will be sourced within the UK.

Mike O'Brien: In their consultation on a Renewable Energy Strategy, Government published figures estimating the long term technical potential of sustainable biomass sourced in the UK for heat and electricity to be 100 TWh of primary energy per year. This would be sufficient to meet our modelled bioenergy requirement in 2020 but we recognise that, as occurs today, it is likely that we will make use of a mix of domestic and imported products.
	We are in the process of furthering our understanding of how the biomass market within the UK may develop and intend to use this information to inform development of the Renewable Energy Strategy. We will, of course, publish our findings.

Renewable Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the UK share of the EU 2020 renewable energy target he expects to be met by  (a) onshore wind,  (b) offshore wind,  (c) renewable gas technologies and  (d) marine power sources.

Mike O'Brien: The 2008 UK Renewable Energy Strategy consultation document set out scenarios for deployment of renewable energy needed to meet the UK's share of the EU renewable energy target. In one scenario presented in the consultation, the shares of technologies were: 13 per cent. renewable energy from onshore wind, 19 per cent. from offshore wind, at least 5 per cent. from biogas heat and 3-4 per cent. from marine power sources.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) financial and  (b) other support his Department provides for viable renewable energy projects.

Mike O'Brien: Changes to the renewables obligation, the main support mechanism for renewable electricity generation, took effect on 1 April. These will provide different levels of support to different technologies depending on their costs. In addition, we took powers in the Energy Act 2008 to introduce a feed-in tariff for small-scale renewable electricity generation, and a renewable heat incentive.

Sellafield

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will instruct his Department's Management Board to investigate the presentation of the projected contingent liabilities arising from the proposed indemnification arrangements for nuclear management partners management contract for Sellafield to Parliament.

Mike O'Brien: The presentation to Parliament of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's nuclear indemnity for Nuclear Management Partners in relation to the contract for the parent body organisation (PBO) for the Sellafield Site Licence Company was the responsibility of BERR and it would not, therefore, be appropriate for the management board of DECC to carry out an investigation. The facts of the case are well known and any further investigation is unnecessary.
	The Government are committed to following the correct procedures and keeping the House informed and I am told that BERR did so in this case. Because there were elements of special urgency to achieve the contract award date for Sellafield, BERR followed a non-standard procedure in accordance with Treasury guidance to Departments in Managing Public Money. The then Minister of State for Energy at BERR wrote on 14 July 2008 to the chairmen the PAC and the Business Select Committee asking them to raise any concerns about the proposed indemnity within 14 working days.
	The Minister's intention was that this letter should be put in the House Libraries on the same day, but that did not happen due to an oversight by a member of staff. This was only noticed on 15 October and it was deposited in the Libraries of the House that same day.

Sellafield

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what indemnification arrangements have been agreed with the consortium appointed to run the National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield; if he will publish on his Department's website a copy of those agreements; and which other organisations bid for the National Nuclear Laboratory contract.

Mike O'Brien: SBM Group (comprising Serco, Battelle and Manchester University) is the consortium appointed to run the National Nuclear Laboratory and it assumed responsibility on 6 April. Under the agreement, the consortium has provided various indemnities to the Department but the Department has provided none in return. Because the terms of the agreements remain commercially sensitive, it is not our intention to make the terms public.
	The only other bidder to pre-qualify and be invited to participate in dialogue was Qqest, a consortium of Energy Solutions and Qinetiq.

Solar Power

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to meet demand for solar photovoltaic applications under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Mike O'Brien: The popularity of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) Phase 2 has lead to an oversubscription in solar photovoltaic applications.
	Any applications for solar photovoltaic made after the full budget allocation for this technology was reached (26 February) are being kept on hold. We are discussing the current allocations for the other technology pots with the Framework Suppliers to ensure we can maximise spend through to the end of programme.
	LCBP Phase 2 is still open for solar thermal, biomass, micro wind and ground source heat pump applications. In addition, LCBP Phase 1 is open to household applications for the range of technologies including solar photovoltaic.

Street Lighting: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects Ofgem to issue guidance to local authorities on the required standards for the electrical maintenance of street lighting.

Joan Ruddock: Ofgem has worked closely with the industry to develop standards for the maintenance of street lighting i.e. street lighting fault repairs. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) was introduced following extensive consultation by Ofgem involving local authorities and distribution network operators (DNOs). Ofgem published a decision letter in this respect in 2007 and set out a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to apply to the various street lighting maintenance categories. Ofgem also made it clear that DNOs should be seeking to meet and surpass the KPIs and if performance did not improve it would take action in this respect through the distribution price control review (DPCR).
	I understand that Ofgem is now considering the extent of regulation required for the KPIs and is working with the industry to formalise these arrangements through further regulation. Ofgem expects to publish its initial proposals in this respect in July 2009.

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who the members of the Warm Front Scheme Management Board are; and on what date  (a) each was appointed and  (b) the term of appointment of each expires.

Joan Ruddock: The Warm Front Scheme Management Board oversees the delivery and performance of the Warm Front Scheme and its contribution to achievement of the fuel poverty and wider Government targets. The board meets on a quarterly basis. Member organisations of the board are:
	Department of Energy and Climate Changeofficials from the Fuel Poverty team and procurement
	eaga plcthe Warm Front Scheme Manager
	Wolseleysupplier of materials to the scheme
	Graham groupsupplier of materials to the scheme
	White Young Greenthe independent quality assessor for the scheme
	National Energy ActionEngland's leading fuel poverty charity
	Consumer Focusa customer advocacy body
	All members have sat on the board since the start of the current contract in 2005, with the exception of Consumer Focus who were invited to the board in 2008 after the previous consumer advocacy member, Energy Watch, was disbanded. Members do not have a fixed term of appointment.
	Individuals representing a member organisation may change from meeting to meeting. Members may also request permission to bring along technical representatives for certain agenda items.

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and Eaga for the management of the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: The release of this information would prejudice commercial interests.

Warm Front Scheme

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how his Department assesses the value for money of services provided under the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: The Department employs independent quality assessors White Young Green who audit all aspects of Warm Front delivery to assess whether it provides value for money. This includes regular six monthly audit reports, as well as ad hoc projects which have included two reviews of Warm Front pricing.
	The National Audit Office has also recently completed a Value for Money report on Warm Front, which is available from its website.

Warm Front Scheme

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average grant awarded under the Warm Front scheme was in each year since 2000.

Joan Ruddock: The following table shows the average grant awarded to applicants to the Warm Front scheme since the beginning of its current phase in 2005. Consolidated data prior to 2005 are unavailable as the scheme was administered by two agencies, one of which is no longer involved with the scheme. As such, the data retained are not sufficient to provide an accurate average in earlier years.
	
		
			  Scheme year  Average grant () 
			 2005-06 1,216 
			 2006-07 1,245 
			 2007-08 1,302 
			 2008-09 1,701

Warm Front Scheme

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people awarded Warm Front grants in  (a) Shropshire,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England were asked to make an excess payment in 2008.

Joan Ruddock: The data showing the number of people awarded Warm Front grants in  (a) Shropshire,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England asked to pay a client contribution are given in the table. This is based on the most recent information available: the data run from 1 April 2008 to 6 March 2009.
	
		
			  Area  Number of people asked to pay a contribution  Households assisted 
			 Shropshire 403 1,754 
			 West Midlands 10,957 30,435 
			 England 50,861 211,920

Warm Front Scheme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for work under the Warm Front scheme to be completed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: The average waiting times since the start of the current scheme in 2005 until 28 February 2009 are detailed as follows. These waiting times are within the Department's contractual guidelines, which state that heating measures will be installed within 120 days of survey and insulation measures within 40 days.
	
		
			  Days 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Heating 
			 Installation 66.0 81.9 63.8 64.7 
			  
			  Insulation 
			 Installation 28.2 32.7 27.4 35.8

JUSTICE

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many inquests into the deaths of people who contracted  (a) HIV,  (b) Hepatitis C or  (c) variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease through contaminated blood products administered to them under the NHS have been completed; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice collects statistics on the verdicts returned at inquests by coroners in England and Wales during each calendar year, broken down into 15 categories of verdict and the sex of the deceased. No further information is collected on the circumstances of each case. (In a reformed system, the Chief Coroner is likely to review the matters on which annual statistics are collected and published, and is likely to consider whether there are specific issues on which occasional research should be carried out.)

Courts: Repairs and Maintenance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1119W, on courts: repairs and maintenance, how much was spent on the refurbishment of court buildings in each of the last three years, excluding expenditure on the Royal Courts of Justice and on the Crown Court at Isleworth.

Jack Straw: Altogether in 2008-09 47 million was spent by HMCS on maintenance at all courts, 27 million on projects to increase capacity and to rationalise the estate (and 75 million on major new builds). HMCS does not define 'refurbishment projects' as a specific programme of work. Expenditure for the last three financial years from the maintenance and capacity programmes which could be classed as 'refurbishment' is as follows.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure ( million) 
			 2006-07 8.0 
			 2007-08 1.8 
			 2008-09 1.5 
		
	
	This is mainly made up of the following projects:
	
		
			million 
			 Warwick Criminal Justice Centre (South) 2.5 
			 Shoreditch/Clerkenwell County Courts 1.3 
			 Hendon Magistrates Court 3.9 
			 Regional refurbishment spend 3.7

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what properties  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies have sold since his Department's inception; and how many have been sold for housing developments.

Shahid Malik: Since the Ministry of Justice's inception on 9 May 2007, there has been no sale of property from the Department or its non-departmental bodies. There have however, been 61 sales of property from its agencies.
	Her Majesty's Courts Service has sold 11 properties. They are:
	Flax Bourton Magistrates Court, The Courthouse
	Bedford, The Old Bank Site
	Newtown Magistrates Court, Back Lane
	Cheltenham County Court, County Court Road
	Bolton, 22 Queen Street
	Kingston upon Thames, Triangle Site
	Epsom County Court and Magistrates Court
	Sleaford Magistrates Court
	Manchester 184-186 Deansgate (Former County Court)
	Maidstone Wierton Grange (Former Judges Lodgings)
	Land at the rear of the former Marylebone Magistrates Court
	Her Majesty's Prison Service has made 50 sales which are nearly all of former quarters but also include a garage, a lease and a sewage treatment works. They are:
	29 Manor Crescent, Kingston
	92 Park Road, Birmingham
	125 Ashford Road, Feltham
	Garage, 27 Honeybourne, Long Lartin
	Sale of Lease, Newbrook and Brookhouse
	25 Victoria Park, Erlestok
	85 Perryn Road, Wormwood Scrubs
	97 Jebb Avenue, Brixton
	79 Jebb Avenue, Brixton
	2 Eastly Close, Eastwood Park
	67 Jebb Avenue, Brixton
	12 Bethune Ave, Pentonville
	33 Finch Road, Reading
	3 Anson Close, The Mount
	52 Welland Avenue, Gartree
	37 Burley Crescent, Ashwell
	42 South Road, Coldingley
	13 Birchlands Avenue, Brixton
	19 Maplestead Road, Brixton
	58 First Avenue, Wormwood Scrubs
	18 Park Road, Feltham
	2 Southgate Ave, Feltham
	67 Old Oak Road, Wormwood Scrubs
	18 Knox Close, Norwich
	Westview, Onley
	4 Stuart Crescent, Gartree
	143 Stanford Road, Brixton
	3 Kenilworth Avenue, Styal
	65 Onley Park, Onley
	16 Hawthorne Way, Highpoint
	9 Link Lane, Wandsworth
	Mill Farm, Feltham (Garage)
	31 Copley Way, Highdown
	42 Grenoble Gardens, Pentonville
	36 Heathfield Square, Wandsworth
	27 Finch Road, Reading
	66 Anderson Drive, Feltham
	8 West End Close, Winchester
	25 Hornby Close, Liverpool
	11 Montague Place, Leeds
	4 Lyham Close, Brixton
	Sewerage Works, Guys Marsh
	18 Southgate Avenue, Feltham
	6 Rudgate Park, Wealstun
	32 Perry Hill, Chelmsford
	22 Priorsgate, Lancaster Farms
	6 Priorsgate, Lancaster Farms
	7 Frewin Road, Wandsworth
	5 Elder Green, Wakefield
	6 Shepherds Croft, Portland
	In all, four properties have been sold for housing development. The Epsom county court and magistrates court were purchased with the intention of the site being used for additional housing development, as was the land at the rear of the Marylebone magistrates court site. The sale of HMPS land at Gringley has been sold for housing development.

Departmental Empty Property

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the change in the annual cost to his Department of maintaining the empty public buildings owned by his Department as a result of the April 2008 changes to empty property rate relief.

Maria Eagle: The estimate of the change in the annual cost to the Ministry of Justice as a result of the April 2008 changes to the empty property rate is 804,081. The cost is made up as follows:
	
		
			
			 Her Majesty's Court Service 361,270 
			 National Offender Management Service (non-custodial) 314,458 
			 Her Majesty's Prison Service 128,352

Departmental Furniture

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his  (a) Department and  (b) its agencies on furniture in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information is not held centrally on the amount spent on procuring furniture before the financial year 2007-08. Available data were therefore related to the financial year 2007-08 only, when the total expenditure was 3,214,944. This was made up of:
	
		
			
			 Ministry of Justice headquarters 235,398 
			 HM Court Service 2,166,667 
			 Tribunal Service 162,879 
			 HM Prison Service 650,000 
		
	
	Details for the financial year 2008-09 will be available shortly.
	Information about the expenditure of the National Probation Service is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by contacting 43 probation boards and trusts.
	The Prison Service seeks to manufacture furniture in house by using prisoners. This has resulted in expenditure on outsourced furniture decreasing as internal production has expanded. Expenditure for the financial year 2006-07 was 761.229, resulting in a decrease of 111,229 in 2007-08. The Prison Service aims to occupy prisoners in out of cell activity and wherever possible to help them gain skills, qualifications and work experience to improve their employment prospects upon release.

Departmental Lost Property

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost of replacing lost or stolen property from his Department was in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: Details of individual cases of property lost or stolen are maintained at a local level, and to obtain all information across the MOJ could be completed only at disproportionate cost. To determine the replacement cost of the property could similarly be gathered by making queries at an operational level across the organisation only at disproportionate cost.
	For the year to date 2008-09 the following unaudited balances are available for the value of property lost or stolen within HM Prison Service, where the majority of cases arise, totalling 133,317. This comprises:
	Losses of stores: 479 instances; 41,279
	Loss of personal property for which compensation was paid to prisoners, staff or third parties: 1,598 instances; 92,038.

Departmental Manpower

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department have been working on matters related to the Governance of Britain agenda since July 2007.

Michael Wills: The Governance of Britain Green Paper set out to tackle the problems that power remains too centralised and too concentrated in Government and some people have become cynical about the political process and disengaged from it. It also set out to explore how the United Kingdom can benefit from articulating a shared understanding of what it means to be British.
	A team was set up within the Ministry of Justice to implement the proposals contained in the 2007 Green Paper to deliver these objectives. Numbers in the team varied, with the maximum being the equivalent of 21 permanent members of staff, added to which a number of other staff within the Constitution Directorate have contributed to the delivery of various of the proposals. It would, however, entail disproportionate cost to determine the precise number of staff time devoted to the delivery of each of the proposals in the Green Paper.

Departmental Mobile Phones and Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) Blackberrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 2005; and at what cost;
	(3)  how many  (a) Blackberrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Michael Wills: Departmental laptops, mobile phones and BlackBerrys are provided through contracted arrangements with service providers. They are usually allocated from a central pool and returned to the pool for re-allocation when no longer required. The contracts provide fully managed services, which include the provision of equipment, service costs, helpdesk support, and, for mobile phones, line rental and call charges.
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was established in May 2007. Numbers of BlackBerry and laptop users for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are given as follows. These are taken from the Department's central records which cover MOJ headquarters, and main business areas, including Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) and tribunals. The figures for mobile phone users cover MOJ headquarters only. Larger business areas, which include HMCS and Tribunals Service, manage mobile telephone provision locally, and these figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Number 
			 BlackBerry users 510 
			 Laptop users 1,511 
			 Mobile phone users 961 
		
	
	
		
			  200 8-09 
			   Number 
			 BlackBerry users 878 
			 Laptop users 1,997 
			 Mobile phone users 863 
		
	
	In addition, the National Offender Management Service holds a central record of the following equipment:
	
		
			   Average laptop volumes  Average BlackBerry volumes  Average mobile telephone volumes 
			 2005 2,789 0 3,741 
			 2006 2,447 0 4,156 
			 2007 2,094 0 4,484 
			 2008 2,740 393 4,775 
		
	
	Costs incurred for mobile phones and BlackBerrys allocated to Ministers and special advisers have been identified from available records. These figures include the cost of call charges, rental and the original purchase cost, if applicable. Note: figures for BlackBerrys are only available for 2008-09.
	
		
			  2007-08: Mobile phones 
			
			 Ministers 3,005.70 
			 Special advisers 652.67 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 - 09 : Mobile phones 
			
			 Ministers 5,591.25 
			 Special advisers 1,113.11 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09: BlackBerrys 
			
			 Ministers 2,930.25 
			 Special advisers 1,208.09 
		
	
	Other cost information is not readily available in a form to answer the question. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Ministry is continually seeking to ensure optimum use of resources. Recent initiatives include the One computer policy, which encourages staff to use only one deviceeither a laptop, desktop, or BlackBerry, and new approvals procedures for BlackBerrys have been introduced.

Departmental Public Consultation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) his Department and  (b) the Department for Constitutional Affairs spent on public consultations in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Most of the Ministry of Justice and the former Department for Constitutional Affairs public consultations conducted in the last five years were covered by departmental costs as an integral part of the policy-making process. No breakdown exists for those costs and to provide one would incur disproportionate cost. However, the following table shows where activity over and above a standard consultation has been carried out and related cost details are available because the consultation was therefore funded by a different method.
	
		
			  Name of consultation  Cost () 
			  2006 consultations  
			 Openness in the Family Courts -Confidence and Confidentiality 28,000 
			 Legal Aid: a sustainable future (joint consultation with Legal Services Commission) (1)23,500 
			   
			  2007 consultations  
			 Openness in the Family Courts - a new approach 14,000 
			 Judicial Appointments: the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary 15,000 
			 War-making powers and international treaties 14,000 
			 NOMS Strategic Plan for Reducing Reoffending 75,000 
			 NOMS Believing we can - engagement with the faith based sector to support work to reduce reoffending 10,000 
			 NOMS Third Sector Strategy 20,000 
			  (2) 
			 MOJ Third Sector Strategy 35,500 
			 OCJR Improving the criminal justice process for young witnesses 2,000 
			   
			  2008 Consultations  
			 NOMS Best Value in Probation (3)9,500 
			 Local Authority Charges for Property Search Services (joint consultation with Communities and Local Government) 12,000 
			 Titan Prisons 1,210 
			 Election Day - Weekend Voting 6,153.95 
			 Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide: Proposal for reform of the Law 10,254 
			 Rules for Mandatory Polygraph Tests for Sex Offenders 300 
			 Reducing Re-offending in London 13,995.26 
			 Reviewing the Mental Capacity Act 2005: Forms Supervision and Fees 6,300 
			 (1) Matched by Legal Services Commission. (2) Plus 18,000 for joint consultation events for NOMS Believing We Can and NOMS Third Sector Strategy. (3) On 19 May 2008 for the answer to PQ 205828, a figure of 12,000 was given. This was an estimate of likely costs. This figure was then confirmed as 9,500 in time for publication in the answer to PQ 259572 on 3 March 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what capital funding his Department has brought forward from its  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11 budgets for use in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and to what ends this funding has been allocated.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much capital spending is planned to be brought forward by his Department to  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has not brought forward any capital spending from 2009-10 or 2010-11 for use in 2008-09 or 2009-10. However, the MOJ is considering bringing forward capital spending on maintenance projects on existing operational estates.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice is currently forecasting to spend its full capital allocation of 961 million in 2008-09, as published in the Spring Supplementary Estimate (SSE). A copy of the SSE is available in both Libraries of the House.
	The Department plans to spend its full allocation of funding of 768 million and 734 million respectively in 2009-10 and 2010-11, as published in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), a copy of which is available in both Libraries of the House. This does not include funding made available by HM Treasury following the Carter Review of Prisons to increase prison capacity. Also there is a sum of c. 370 million relating to additional prison expansion projects that we are expecting to spend during 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	For 2011-12, this falls outside the current CSR period and so it is not possible to provide details of planned expenditure until the next spending review has been finalised.

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has issued to its staff on claims for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Michael Wills: All rail travel is completed in line with the Staff Pay and Allowances Handbook, which states that all employees are encouraged to travel at standard class unless there is justification for travelling first class.
	Senior employees may travel first class on official journeys by rail in exceptional circumstances.
	Other employees should travel at standard class, except when:
	necessarily travelling with a colleague entitled to first class travel, or someone not a civil servant travelling first class;
	they certify (other than on suburban lines) that a standard class seat could not be found.
	Separate guidance is provided for staff working within the NOMS agency, although it is broadly similar, stating:
	For staff in the NOMS agency, current guidance states that staff at Prison Service Manager Grade G and below are entitled to travel first class when they certify that they were unable to find a seat in standard class and the journey exceeds 30-minutes in duration.
	The MOJ has provided guidance to staff in order to reduce the costs of travel, subsistence and hospitality, for example by using video conferencing where possible and significantly reducing refreshments provided for meetings.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on holding departmental away days at locations other than departmental premises.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not hold a specific policy for holding departmental away days at locations other than departmental premises.
	All spending on away days is completed in line with the Finance Policy Manual, which is in line with HM Treasury Guidance on Managing Public Money, and states the following for away days and team building events:
	These occasional events are organised to develop working relationships and achieve Departmental objectives. They are acceptable as long as the event can be justified as good value for money and can demonstrate development achievements. Costs should be reasonable and comparable to the status of the event.
	Across the MOJ staff are looking at ways to get best value for money and make savings, this includes local changes to ways of working which managers are putting in place. Wherever possible, taking into account room availability, size and flexibility, managers are using MOJ, or other public sector buildings, for planning and team meetings and away days rather than using external venues.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisations provided such training.

Michael Wills: Ministers in the Ministry of Justice (formerly the Department for Constitutional Affairs) have not undertaken any media training within the last three years.

Departmental Translation Services

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on translation services in each area of allocation in 2008.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are able to provide the total cost for language translators and interpreters for the calendar year 2008 only at a disproportionate cost as the details are not held in this format.
	Figures are available for the financial year 2007-08, as follows:
	 M O J headquarters
	Translators: 272, 877
	Interpreters: 4,034,000(1)
	 Her Majesty's Courts Service
	Translators: 200,000
	Interpreters: 0
	 Tribunals Service
	Translators and interpreters: 6,058,000(2)
	 Office of Criminal Justice Reform
	Translators: 448
	Interpreters: 0
	 Her Majesty's Prison Service
	Translators and interpreters: 820,633(2)
	 National Offender Management Service (headquarters, excluding HM Prison Service and the Probation Service)
	Translators: 8,906
	Interpreters: 32,000
	(1) This figure is the total cost for interpreters' services in Her Majesty's Crown Court in 2007-08. This is paid from the central funds budget within MOJ headquarters.
	(2) Tribunals Service and HM Prison Service are able to differentiate between the cost of translators and interpreters only at disproportionate cost. For TS this figure includes services for people with visual and hearing impairments and travel expenses.
	The Probation Service costs for interpretation and translation services are not held centrally and are available only at a disproportionate cost.
	Information for 2008-09 is currently being collated.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) juveniles and  (b) young adults have been physically restrained in Feltham Young Offenders Institution in each month since January 2008.

David Hanson: Establishments in the young people's estate, commissioned by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) collect information on the number of Restrictive Physical Interventions (RPI) that occurs each month. In the young adult estate we report on the use of control and restraint. Figures are collected on the number of incidents of restraint that take place, not the number of young people or young adults restrained.
	A Report of an Independent Review of the Use of Restraint in Juvenile Secure Settings and the Government's response was published in December 2008. The Report recommended that HMPS provide staff with safe restraint techniques designed especially for young people and which do not reply on pain-compliance. The Government accept this recommendation and NOMS is developing a new Adapted Control and Restraint (C and R) technique specifically for young people which will form part of a comprehensive behaviour management system.
	Young People: Data on the number of times Restrictive Physical Intervention (RPI) was used on a young person (15-18 years old) at HMYOI Feltham from January 2008 to January 2009 are shown on the following table:
	
		
			   Average YP Population  RPI Incident 
			 January 2008 211 39 
			 February 2008 207 57 
			 March 2008 226 33 
			 April 2008 211 38 
			 May 2008 209 31 
			 June 2008 220 50 
			 July 2008 215 41 
			 August 2008 211 22 
			 September 2008 209 64 
			 October 2008 205 44 
			 November 2008 211 34 
			 December 2008 186 25 
			 January 2009 191 41 
		
	
	RPI is a Youth Justice Board (YJB) measure defined as any occasion when force is used with the intention of overpowering or to overpower a young person. Overpowering is defined as restricting movement or mobility.
	Young adult: Data on the number of times Control and Restraint (C and R) was used on a young adult (18-21 years old) at HMYOI Feltham from January 2008 to January 2009 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Average YA Population  C and R Incident 
			 January 2008 371 18 
			 February 2008 378 19 
			 March 2008 374 33 
			 April 2008 371 24 
			 May 2008 364 16 
			 June 2008 385 17 
			 July 2008 379 21 
			 August 2008 419 28 
			 September 2008 404 13 
			 October 2008 404 30 
			 November 2008 387 46 
			 December 2008 389 24 
			 January 2009 385 27 
		
	
	C and R is used as a last resort in order to bring a violent or refractory prisoner under control and the technique is only applied for as short a time as is possible.

Fines: Surcharges

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the expected income of the Victims Surcharge Fund is in 2009-10.

Maria Eagle: The Victims Surcharge is a 15 charge levied on fines imposed in the magistrates and Crown courts in England and Wales on offences committed on or after 1 April 2007. Her Majesty's Courts Service have forecast that 8 million will be raised from the surcharge in 2009-10. The forecasts are based on the current numbers of fines imposed and enforcement achieved.

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Land Registry expects to publish figures for the numbers of properties which were sold in  (a) February and  (b) March 2009.

Michael Wills: Land Registry publishes sales volume figures within its monthly house price index (HPI). The data are collected on all residential property transactions in England and Wales. It is expected that figures for February and March will be published on 1 June and 26 June 2009 respectively. The HPI is published at:
	www.landregistry.gov.uk
	and will be available at 11:00 hours on the aforementioned dates.

Magistrates Courts: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were sentenced in magistrates courts in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those sentences were custodial.

Maria Eagle: In 2007, the latest year for which data are available, there were 1,325,453 persons sentenced at magistrates courts and 76,643 were given a custodial sentence including suspended sentences. More than 80 per cent. of sentences at magistrates courts are for summary offences for which custody is not always either available or appropriate. For non-summary offences the total number sentenced was 234,541 and 43,595 were given a custodial sentence.
	These figures can also be found in table 1.3 of Sentencing Statistics, England and Wales, 2007 published by the Ministry of Justice at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 13 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon on behalf of Mr. E. Penberton of Thornbury, on proposals relating to bailiffs.

Bridget Prentice: I replied to the letter from the hon. Member on behalf of Mr. E. Pemberton on 15 April 2009.

National Offender Management Service: Finance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the planned budget is for each probation area in 2009-10.

Jack Straw: Since 1997, the probation resource budget has increased by nearly 70 per cent. in real terms, with 7,000 more probation staff. The service now receives over 900 million of public money, and it is essential that this money is put to good use.
	There is significant scope for savings in the probation service, particularly by reducing unnecessary management layers, streamlining changes and cutting bureaucracy. The potential for savings has been verified externally.
	Challenging efficiency targets have been set for probation areas that want to become trusts, but the priority is public protection. This will not be compromised.
	The probation service's budget for 2009-10 is set at 894 million. Although this is 20 million less than the 914 million budget for 2008-09, outturn for this year is estimated at 889 million5 million less than 2009-10 budget allocation. In order to make funding allocations as fair as possible savings requirements vary between probation areas, taking identified potential savings and the number of convictions in the area into account. Planned budgets for individual probation areas in 2009-10 are:
	
		
			   000 
			  South West 65,132 
			 Avon and Somerset 20.221 
			 Devon and Cornwall 20.236 
			 Dorset 9,040 
			 Gloucestershire 7,626 
			 Wiltshire 8,008 
			   
			  Eastern 71,746 
			 Bedfordshire 9,497 
			 Cambridgeshire 10,092 
			 Essex 19,231 
			 Hertfordshire 11,411 
			 Norfolk 11,535 
			 Suffolk 9,980 
			   
			  North West 130,982 
			 Cheshire 15,074 
			 Cumbria 8,586 
			 Lancashire 24,351 
			 Greater Manchester 51,342 
			 Merseyside 31,629 
			   
			  East Midlands 66,942 
			 Derbyshire 13,945 
			 Leicestershire 15,129 
			 Lincolnshire 9,373 
			 Northamptonshire 9,320 
			 Nottinghamshire 19,176 
			   
			  North East 52,817 
			 Durham 10,532 
			 Teesside 13,315 
			 Northumbria 28,969 
			   
			  South East 100,077 
			 Hampshire 24,769 
			 Kent 21,359 
			 Surrey 10,183 
			 Sussex 17,989 
			 Thames Valley 25,776 
			   
			  Yorks and Humber 92,717 
			 Humberside 17,249 
			 North Yorkshire 9,779 
			 South Yorkshire 24,877 
			 West Yorkshire 40,812 
			   
			  West Midlands 96,110 
			 Staffordshire 16,829 
			 Warwickshire 7,150 
			 West Mercia 15,217 
			 West Midlands 56,913 
			   
			  London 150,384 
			   
			  Wales 56,381 
			 Dyfed Powys 8,626 
			 Gwent 11,069 
			 North Wales 12,409 
			 South Wales 24,277

Nottingham Prison

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to implement the recommendations of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons' reports of 2005 and 2007 on the visits booking system at HM Prison Nottingham; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The recommendations on the visits booking system were accepted in both reports by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. A computer booking system was introduced following the 2005 report. A new computer system will be introduced later this year in response to the 2007 report.

Offenders: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) account is taken by and  (b) information is made available to offender managers of the services provided by the Service Personnel and Veteran's Agency in the drafting of supervision plans for offenders who have served in the armed forces; if he will ensure that such offenders are informed of the services for which they are eligible which are provided by (i) the Royal British Legion, (ii) Combat Stress and (iii) Soldiers, Sailors and Airforce Association; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Veterans Prison In-Reach Initiative, a partnership between the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence, promotes the help and support for veterans available from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) to prison establishments and probation offender managers. The SPVA website and free-phone helpline is promoted to front-line staff which can assist the development of supervision plans for veteran offenders.
	As part of the Veterans Prison In-Reach initiative we are running an extensive cross-departmental marketing campaign aimed at staff, including offender managers, ex-veteran offenders and their families on services available. This exercise is conducted in close and active co-operation with the three veteran charities mentioned by my hon. Friend. This helps to inform the sentence planning for ex-veteran offenders.

Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the maximum sentence for possession of a knife in each region in each year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The available figures, extracted from the dataset used to compile Sentencing Statistics, 2007 published in November 2008, are contained in the following table. The maximum penalty has increased from two to four years imprisonment for offences committed after 12 February 2007. These penalties relate to possession of a knife. Where a knife is used to commit a crime a more severe sentence will be imposed. In some cases (e.g. for grievous bodily harm with intent) this could be life imprisonment.
	The sentence imposed in individual cases is a matter for the courts to decide upon, within the statutory limits laid down by Parliament. It is entirely a matter for the court to determine the sentence taking account of all the circumstances in each case.
	Provisional statistics, mainly from the police national computer, published by the Ministry of Justice in the first quarterly knife crime sentencing bulletin (on Thursday 12 March) and covering possession of an offensive weapon as well as possession of an article with a blade or point showed that:
	More offenders are being sent to jail (23 per cent.): the number of offences resulting in immediate custody rose from 1,125 in the last quarter of 2007 to 1,386 in the same period of 2008. On average there was a 40 per cent. increase in the number of prisoners serving a sentence for possession of an offensive weapon between the same periods.
	Fewer cautions being issued: the number fell 31 per cent. over the same period (1,706 in the last quarter of 2008 compared to 2,455 in the same period of 2007).
	More use of tougher community sentences: the number of offences resulting in community sentences rose 16 per cent. (from 1,861 in the last quarter of 2007 to 2,151 in the same period of 2007)
	Longer sentences: the average immediate custodial sentence has risen by 38 per cent. (from 133-days in the last quarter of 2007 to 184 days in the same period of 2008.
	The proportion of all possession offences resulting in immediate custody rose to 21 per cent. in the last quarter of 2008 from 17 per cent. in the same period of 2007. The proportion of offences resulting in a caution decreased from 36% in the last quarter of 2007 to 25 per cent. in the last quarter of 2008.
	The statistics also show a decline in the total number of offences involving possession of a knife or other offensive weapon (6,704 offences were dealt with between October and December last year, compared to 6,808 in the same period of 2007).
	
		
			  Number of persons given maximum custodial sentence( 1)  for possession of an article with blade or point in public place or school premises, by  r egion,1993  to  2007 
			  Region  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007( 2) 
			 North West  1 
			 North East  1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside   1  1  
			 East Midlands   
			 West Midlands1   
			 East of England   
			 London  11 
			 South East   
			 South West 1  
			 Wales1   
			 Total  1 1 1 1 1  1 1 2 
			 (1) These data are on the principle offences basis. (2) These figures are for offenders sentenced to two years imprisonment which would be the maximum sentence if the offence had been committed before 12 February 2007 where a new provision came into force which increased the maximum sentence from two years to four years. There was no person sentenced to four years custody in 2007. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services 27/002/2009 Ref: PQ(OMSAS)063-09

Pentonville Prison: Prison Escapes

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will hold an inquiry into the escape from HM Prison Pentonville on 27 March 2009.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service has a well established process for investigating serious incidents in prison, and all escapes are investigated. This was the only escape from inside a prison establishment in 2008-09. This reflects a significant achievement on behalf of staff working in prisons to protect the public.

Prison Sentences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were sentenced in courts in England and Wales in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006,  (e) 2007 and  (f) 2008; and what proportion of such sentences included a compensation order in each year.

Maria Eagle: The available information is shown in the following table. Statistics for 2008 will be available when 'Sentencing Statistics 2008' is published later in the year.
	
		
			  Number of offenders sentenced and number and proportion made to pay compensation( 1)  2003-07 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Number sentenced 827,216 839,435 815,327 798,057 803,606 
			 Number of compensation orders issued 120,465 123,315 131,687 137,446 165,872 
			   
			 Proportion of offenders made to pay compensation (%) 15 15 16 17 21 
			 (1) Excludes summary motoring offences  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Prison Service: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many members of staff were employed at  (a) HM Prison (i) Belmarsh, (ii) Brixton, (iii) Holloway, (iv) Latchmere House, (v) Pentonville, (vi) Wandsworth and (vii) Wormwood Scrubs,  (b) HM Young Offenders, Institution Feltham and  (c) Clelland House on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Information on the number of staff employed in London establishments and at Cleland House on 28 February 2009 requested is contained in the table.
	
		
			  Location  Function  Operational capacity  Staff employed 
			 Belmarsh Male local 910 963 
			 Brixton Male local 798 353 
			 Feltham Male closed young offender institution 762 738 
			 Holloway Female local 500 520 
			 Latchmere House Semi open 207 84 
			 Pentonville Male local 1,152 626 
			 Wandsworth Male local 1,644 707 
			 Wormwood Scrubs Male local 1,277 586 
			 Cleland House Headquarters  547

Prison Service: Political Activities

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is provided to HM Prison Service staff in respect of political activity; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The advice given to staff in HM Prison Service is exactly the same as that given to all civil servants. The advice is contained within the Prison Service Staff Handbook and is drawn from the generic guidance in the Civil Service Code.
	Political activities are divided into two areas; local and national. The freedom and extent to which staff may engage in political activities is dependant on the grade of the member of staff and which of the following three groups they fall into: politically free, intermediate or politically restricted.
	The general principle that applies to staff that wish to engage in political activities is that every care should be taken to avoid causing any embarrassment to Ministers and the Prison Service by engaging in matters that are deemed to be politically controversial.

Prisoners

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures are in place to ensure that records held by  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Prison Service accurately record the identity of prisoners.

David Hanson: Prisoners are only accepted into custody on production of a valid warrant signed by an officer of a court, or other lawful authority. Those escorted from a court or transferred from another establishment will be accompanied by a Prisoner (or Person) Escort Record form. Other documentation relating to the prisoner's identity may include a temporary release licence, licence revocation order, transfer order, or authority to detain under immigration or anti terrorism legislation.
	In all cases the staff receiving the prisoner into the establishment will confirm that he or she is the person named on the warrant or other document. If there is any dispute, staff will still take the prisoner into custody, unless there is clear evidence of error, but will endeavour to resolve the issue. Prisoners will be allowed to contact their family or a friend, and their legal representative to seek advice as soon as possible, and will be informed of their right to petition the Secretary of State.
	The prisoner's details will be recorded on his or her personal record, which accompanies the prisoner whenever he or she transfers from one establishment to another, and on the prison's IT system. Any aliases or changes of the prisoner's name will be cross-referenced in all records. Prisoners are photographed and fingerprinted shortly after arrival in prison, providing further confirmation of their identity.

Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1070W, when he expects there to be sufficient capacity within the prison system to end the End of Custody Licence scheme.

Jack Straw: End of Custody Licence (ECL) will be brought to end as soon as there is sufficient capacity within the prison system to do so. I set out a comprehensive strategy for managing the increasing prison population in December 2007 and we have been pursuing that strategy vigorously. We are monitoring the position carefully and will end the scheme when sufficient headroom exists.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders released under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme have re-offended while on a tag in each year since the scheme's commencement; and what offences were committed by such offenders.

Jack Straw: Reoffending data in respect of offenders who are subject to the Home Detention Curfew are currently being audited. This exercise will be completed in May, when I will write to the hon. and learned Member, providing the information he has requested and will place a copy of the reply in the Library.

Prisoners: Females

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many single mothers were in prison on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service does not routinely keep information on the number of prisoners who are single mothers.

Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons in England and Wales have an alcohol strategy.

Jack Straw: The National Alcohol Strategy for Prisoners was introduced in December 2004. The strategy provides a framework for addressing prisoners' alcohol-related problems. It balances treatment and support with supply reduction, and provides a benchmark against which prisons can formulate an appropriate strategy if there is a local need.
	A survey of the estate shows that:
	37(1) prisons/young offender institutions (YOIs) have a separate alcohol strategy;
	97(1) prisons/YOIs have an integrated drug and alcohol strategy; and
	five prisons do not have an alcohol strategy.
	(1) Huntercombe YOI has a separate alcohol strategy and an integrated substance strategy for young people so is included in both sets of figures.
	Four of the five prisons currently without an alcohol strategy are planning to develop one by 2009-10.

Prisons: Drugs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many visitors to prisons were  (a) suspected of,  (b) banned for and  (c) arrested for smuggling drugs into prison in 2007-08; and how many such visitors were on closed visits as a result of smuggling drugs into prison.

David Hanson: In March 2008, the Government commissioned a report (the Blakey Review) into the effectiveness of measures to disrupt the supply of drugs into prisons, and all ten of the report's recommendations have been accepted and work has begun to implement them. This report and the Government's response were published on 7 July 2008.
	The data on the actions taken in 2007-08 against visitors suspected of smuggling drugs are given in the following table. The Ministry of Justice do not keep records of the number of social visitors. From a very indicative calculation we estimate this to be at least three million social visits annually.
	
		
			   Number 
			  Number of visitors:  
			 Suspected(1) 3,296 
			 Banned as a result 2,687 
			 Made subject to closed visits instead of a ban 414 
			 Made subject to closed visits following a ban 1,638 
			 Not banned and not made subject to closed visits 195 
			 Arrested in connection with these incidents 424 
			 (1 )Visitors are suspected of smuggling drugs in a number of ways, on a case by case basis. This can include prison or police intelligence concerning the visitor and/or the prisoner, drugs dog indications, drugs test results, suspicious behaviour or movements in the visits hall, or drugs being found in the possession of visitors during pre-entry searches. 
		
	
	The banning or placing on closed visits of a visitor is an administrative measure which can be imposed by a prison on the basis of suspicion but without the recovery of drugs. This level of suspicion would however be insufficient for a police arrest, which requires a higher standard of proof, often with the recovery of drugs.
	Where drugs are recovered from visitors it is National Offender Management Service policy to refer the matter to the police.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Prisons: Drugs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what methodology is used in the random selection of prisoners for drug testing.

David Hanson: Names of those to be tested each month are generated at random by a computer programme contained within the Local Inmate Data System.
	Prisons are required to conduct all random tests from the random list. In a number of closely defined circumstances a prisoner may not be available for test. Prisons are then required, in order to meet the monthly testing target, to draw in strict order additional prisoners from a reserve list.

Prisons: Finance

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what means will be used to finance the construction and operation of Titan prisons.

Jack Straw: Finance issues relating to the construction and operation of the new prisons, will form part of our response to the consultation on these prisons. This response will be published shortly.

Prisons: Lancashire

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had in the last 12 months with Lancaster and Morecambe City Council on the construction of a Titan prison in the district; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: No discussions have taken place with Lancaster and Morecombe city council in the last 12 months about the construction of new prisons in their districts.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on the provision of mobile telephone jammers for use in prisons in England and Wales.

David Hanson: We have committed to take forward mobile phone signal blocking, as we indicated in the Government response to David Blakey's report, Disrupting the Supply of Illicit Drugs into Prisons. We are working closely with the Home Office Scientific Development Branch to trial and evaluate a range of disruption technologies.
	Disrupting mobile phones is one part of our three-tiered strategy to minimise the number of illicit mobile phones entering prison, and find and disrupt those that do enter. We are rolling out a range of technology to strengthen local searching and security strategies, including BOSS chairs for every prison which does not already have one, as recommended in the Blakey report.

Prisons: Standards

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons participated in the most recent performance testing exercise; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey (Elmley, Swaleside and Stanford Hill) were involved in the most recent performance testing exercise. Their proposals for improvement were accepted and a service level agreement was awarded to the Sheppey cluster from April 2006.

Probation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has issued guidance to the probation service on conducting unpaid work assignments in bad weather.

Jack Straw: Probation areas are required under health and safety guidance to provide suitable clothing for staff and offenders when work is taking place outdoors. It is expected that offenders undertaking Community Payback will work outdoors in all but the most severe weather conditions.

Repossession Orders

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many repossession orders there were in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The latest quarterly figures on mortgage and landlord possession orders made in the county courts of England and Wales (from 2004 to 2008) are available on the Ministry of Justice website. Please see the tables on pages seven and nine of the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/stats-mortgage-landlord-qu4-2008.pdf
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, geographical boundaries of county courts may not necessarily be consistent with other administrative or constituency boundaries.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time taken by the Cardiff office of the Appeals Service was to review decisions on applications for  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) all benefits in the latest period for which information is available; and how many appeals submitted to that office for review were outstanding on 31 January 2009.

Bridget Prentice: In 2008-09 the average time taken by the First-tier Tribunal Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) office in Cardiff to review decisions on applications for  (a) disability living allowance was 10.84 weeks and  (b) all benefits was 11.85 weeks. The national target for SSCS appeals is to ensure that 75 per cent. of all appeals should receive a first hearing within 14 weeks of receipt. There were 9,455 appeals outstanding in the Cardiff office on 31 January 2009.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has issued to the Appeals Service on the maximum time for making determinations on appeals against decisions on disability living allowance applications.

Bridget Prentice: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is not responsible for setting performance targets for the tribunals service, as the tribunals service is an agency within the Ministry of Justice. The Tribunals Service Business Plan for 2008-2009 contained agreed strategic objectives, service delivery targets and performance indicators. The tribunal seeks to ensure that 75 per cent. of all social security appeals receive a first hearing within 14-weeks of receipt.

Television: Licensing

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions for non-payment of the television licence fee there have been in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for non-payment of the television licence fee in Essex police force area, 2005 to 2007 is shown in the following table.
	Information held centrally cannot be further broken down to constituency level, hence Essex police force area data have been provided in lieu of West Chelmsford constituency.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for non-payment of the television licence fee in Essex police force area, 2005 - 07( 1,2,3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2005 (4) (4) 
			 2006 3,114 2,703 
			 2007 3,034 2,620 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The TV licensing provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 were replaced by new provisions in section 363 of the Communications Act 2003 which came into effect 1 April 2004. (4) Following quality checks these data are not considered reliable enough for publication. Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Age Concern: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funding his Department has  (a) allocated to and  (b) channelled through Age Concern in each of the last three years; for what purposes such spending has been incurred; and what steps his Department takes to monitor the value for money achieved from such spending.

Kevin Brennan: In the last three years the Office of the Third Sector has provided funding to three local Age Concern branches. The table shows the funding per year for the past three years:
	
		
			   
			  Age Concern  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 Gateshead 24,793.70 25,727.95 25,727.95 76,249.60 
			 Islington 11,216.80 44,867.20 44,867.20 100,951.20 
			 North Tyneside 8,453.80 33,815.20 33,815.20 76,084.20 
			 Total 44,464.30 104,410.35 104,410.35 253,285.00 
		
	
	This funding was provided as part of the Office of the Third Sector GoldStar volunteering and mentoring programme and was provided to these organisations to support their work to involve more volunteers. Each of the 46 organisations that received funding from the GoldStar programme were subject to regular monitoring visits. They were also required to submit accounting and progress reporting documentation each quarter.

Business

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many medium-sized businesses there are in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many medium-sized businesses there are in (a) Jarrow Constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK.
	Annual statistics on business size and location are available from the ONS release on UK Business: Activity, Size and Location. The following table contains the enterprise counts for 2008.
	
		
			  Count of Business 2008 
			   Employment Size Band (50-249) 
			 United Kingdom 32,990 
			 North East GOR 1,130 
			 South Tyneside 45 
			 Jarrow Constituency 30

Central Government: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in what year the Central Office of Information established its list of accredited public relations companies for Government contracts.

Liam Byrne: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	 Letter from Peter Buchanan, dated April 2009:
	asking in what year the Central Office of Information established its list of accredited public relations companies.
	The Central Office of Information established its first framework of accredited public relations companies in 1997.

Central Office of Information: Directories

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1348-49W, on departments: publications, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Central Office of Information's IPO Directory or equivalent publication for 1996.

Liam Byrne: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	 Letter from Peter Buchanan, dated April 2009:
	requesting a copy of the 1996 IPO directory published by the Central Office of Information.
	A copy has been placed in the libraries of the House.

Central Office of Information: Expenditure

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer to Lord Cope of Berkeley of 19 November 2008,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column 193WA, on the Central Office of Information: expenditure, for what reasons the figure of 265.8 million expenditure on public relations, marketing and advertising given in the Answer differs from the 391 million expenditure figure published in the Central Office of Information's Annual Report and Accounts for 2007-08; and if he will publish an expenditure figure for 1996-97 using the same methodology as used to calculate the figure in the 2007-08 document.

Liam Byrne: The 265.8 million figure represents expenditure on public relations, marketing and advertising. The 391 million figure in the 2007-08 annual report is the total for all expenditure through COI, including for example costs relating to Directgov, public consultations, research, interactive services, publications and regional offices.
	In 1996-97 the total expenditure through COI was 125.9 million. The expenditure on public relations, marketing and advertising, unadjusted for inflation, was 81.2 million.
	The majority of the increased expenditure since 1996-07 is related to campaigns for public service recruitment, health and safety and new issues such as climate change. The largest campaigns over the last year have been on Army recruitment, RAF recruitment, Act On C02, Alcohol Harm Reduction, Obesity and Road Safety.

Charities

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the Charity Commission's regulatory case report on Age Concern England and its Heyday membership scheme; and what reports he has received of the Charity Commission's investigation into the Green Crescent Charity in Stockport.

Kevin Brennan: The Charity Commission's regulatory case report into Age Concern England and its Heyday membership scheme raises some wider issues for the charity sector. In particular, the report highlighted the importance of strong governance arrangements alongside accountability and transparency. The ongoing inquiry into Green Crescent is a matter for the Commission who notified us that they had opened an inquiry under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993. However, in accordance with its normal practice, the Commission will publish a statement of the results of the inquiry setting out its findings and any wider lessons once the inquiry is completed.

Charities

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many charities have  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each (i) year since 2004 and (ii) month since January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Charity Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, dated April 2009:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your question (269357) regarding the number of charities that have opened and closed each year since 2004 and each month since January 2008.
	I attach below tables which set out the number of charities that registered with the Charity Commission and the number of charities that were removed from the Register for each year since 2004 and for each month since January 2008.
	The tables below refer to those charities which are required to register with the Commission by law. Smaller charities are not required to register with us; the threshold for registration was an annual income of 1,000 for the periods shown by the tables until April 2008 when this threshold was increased to 5,000.
	Charities are removed from the Register for a number of different reasons and the figures below are not directly representative of the number of charities that are wound down during any one period. The peak in removals seen in the figures for November 2008 represents the removal of dormant charities from the Register. Likewise the number of charity registrations is not directly representative of the number of charities that have been opened during any one period. For example charities that are opened with an annual income below the threshold do not have to register and other charities may only register when their income rises above this threshold.
	
		
			   Removals  Registrations 
			 2004 4,630 6,096 
			 2005 4,094 5,169 
			 2006 3,728 4,807 
			 2007 4,024 4,686 
			 2008 6,062 5,169 
		
	
	
		
			   Month  Removals  Registrations 
			 2008 1 472 396 
			 2008 2 353 479 
			 2008 3 376 357 
			 2008 4 316 543 
			 2008 5 542 343 
			 2008 6 418 465 
			 2008 7 336 548 
			 2008 8 300 354 
			 2008 9 400 441 
			 2008 10 500 420 
			 2008 11 1,424 467 
			 2008 12 625 356 
			 2009 1 348 444 
			 2009 2 573 574 
			 2009 3 587 633 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

Charities: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Government's response to the National Audit Office report on Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders.

Kevin Brennan: I welcome the NAO report and its findings, and want to ensure that we continue to develop our approach to get the best value for money possible. I hope to work closely with colleagues from across Government to respond to any recommendations that the Public Accounts Committee may make, which will be informed by this report.

Charities: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the implications of the findings of the Charity Commission in its recent report on Age Concern for his Department's  (a) policies affecting and  (b) funding channelled through the charity sector.

Kevin Brennan: The Charity Commission's regulatory case report into Age Concern England and its Heyday membership scheme raised some wider issues for the charity sector. In particular, the report highlighted the importance of strong governance arrangements alongside accountability and transparency. The Office of the Third Sector promotes good governance in the third sector, for example through the leadership and governance workstream of Capacitybuilders' National Support Services Programme. In relation to the Department's funding of the charity sector, appropriate controls and monitoring arrangements are in place both before any grant funding is awarded, and for the duration of any funding agreement.

Charities: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of financial controls in those charitable organisations through which his Department channels funding.

Kevin Brennan: All organisations receiving grant funding directly from the Office of the Third Sector are required to complete an Internal Financial Controls Checklist for Charities provided by the Charity Commission
	www.charitycommission.gov.uk
	and provide three references. The checklist ensures that any organisation receiving funding has secure financial controls in place.
	Funding agreements with organisations are monitored on an on-going basis as per the terms and conditions of the particular agreement in place.

Charities: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will take steps to increase the level of monitoring undertaken by the Charity Commission of the use by charitable organisations of the donations which they receive.

Kevin Brennan: As the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, the Charity Commission is not subject to ministerial direction or control. The Commission's statutory objectives were recently reviewed and updated in the Charities Act 2006. This included increasing public confidence in charities, promoting compliance by charity trustees with their legal obligations in exercising control and management of the administration of their charities, promoting the effective use of charitable resources and enhancing the accountability of charities to donors, beneficiaries and the general public. The Commission has wide powers of intervention where there is evidence of misconduct or mismanagement. It operates a risk-based approach to the regulation of charities. This is set out in its published Risk and Proportionality Framework, and I have placed a copy in the House Library.

Charities: Standards

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will bring forward proposals to improve standards of governance in charitable organisations.

Kevin Brennan: Charity trustees are already subject to a number of legal duties and obligations. The Charity Commission provides a range of advice, guidance and support to help charity trustees meet their legal obligations and strengthen their governance arrangements. The Government also continues to support the development of resources and learning to promote high standards of governance in the sector, for example through the governance and leadership workstream of Capacitybuilders' National Support Services.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months.

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what minor works have been undertaken in Downing Street  (a) offices and  (b) ministerial residences in the last year for which audited figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 801W.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what budget has been assigned to his Department's Real Help Now website for each of the next three years; and whether other Government Departments have provided funding.

Liam Byrne: The Real Help Now website brings together information about the range of support available during the economic downturn and makes it easier for people and businesses to access that support.
	The development budget for the site in this financial year (2008-09) was less than 10,000 and falls within the existing Cabinet Office communications budget. Ongoing maintenance costs for the site will form part within the Cabinet Office communications budget which is yet to be agreed for the next three years. No other Departments have provided funding.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Capital expenditure in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 is currently projected to be 53.896 million, 50.471 million and 51.387 million respectively. 2011-12 is outside the current comprehensive spending review period and an estimate of expenditure is not available.

Departmental Security

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what access independent security assessors appointed to review the security function of his Department have to his Department's premises.

Kevin Brennan: The Department ensures that all personnel engaged in providing a security advisory role have the relevant and appropriate access to perform their function.

Employment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people have been employed in the medium-sized business sector in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people have been employed in the medium-sized business sector in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997. (268376)
	The table below show the number of employees within the size-band 50-199 employees from 1998 to 2007. Figures for 1997 are not available.
	
		
			  Number of employees in the employee size-band 50-199 
			   Jarrow  c onstituency  South Tyneside  North East  England 
			 1998 4,700 11,200 230,400 4,925,500 
			 1999 4,400 10,400 225,600 4,871,200 
			 2000 4,900 10,000 234,300 5,113,000 
			 2001 4,800 11,000 242,100 5,247,700 
			 2002 4,800 10,000 246,700 5,251,500 
			 2003 5,700 11,600 257,000 5,333,100 
			 2004 6,100 11,900 250,600 5,422,300 
			 2005 6,800 12,700 266,400 5,453,000 
			 2006 6,100 10,900 247,300 5,333,000 
			 2007 6,600 11,000 246,400 5,389,500 
			  Note: Estimates for 2005 and earlier period are on a different basis to those from 2006 onwards. A preliminary assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimated total number of employees (for GB at the whole economy level) was reduced by around 1 per cent. Direct comparisons of employee estimates should therefore be treated with caution.  Source: Annual Business Inquiry

Employment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people have been employed in the small business sector in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell , dated April 2009
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people have been employed in the small business sector in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North Hast and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.
	The following table show the number of employees within the size-band 0-49 employees from 1998 to 2007. Figures for 1997 are not available.
	
		
			  Number of employees in the employee size-band 0-49 
			   Jarrow c onstituency  South Tyneside  North East  GB( 1) 
			 1998 9,800 20,300 429,800 11,200,100 
			 1999 10,100 20,600 422,500 11,329,800 
			 2000 10,600 21,600 423,300 11,581,100 
			 2001 10,300 21,000 424,800 11,611,400 
			 2002 10,600 21,300 436,400 11,679,400 
			 2003 10,500 20,700 433,000 11,640,500 
			 2004 10,600 20,700 430,800 11,708,600 
			 2005 11,400 22,700 450,900 11,982,800 
			 2006 10,900 20,900 442,700 11,832,600 
			 2007 10,900 21,000 433,600 11,894,000 
			 (1) Figures from the annual business inquiry are only produced for Great Britain.  Source:  Annual Business Inquiry. 
		
	
	Estimates for 2005 and earlier period are on a different basis to those from 2006 onwards. A preliminary assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimated total number of employees (for GB at the whole economy level) was reduced by around 1%. Direct comparisons of employee estimates should therefore be treated with caution.

Employment

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) private and  (b) public sector employees there were in each month since September 2008.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many  (a) private sector and  (b) public sector employees there were in each month since September 2008. (268441)
	The Office for National Statistics produces estimates of employment for the whole economy from the Labour Force Survey (published monthly), and for the public sector through the quarterly Public Sector Employment surveys. Private sector employment estimates are derived as the difference between Labour Force Survey and public sector employment totals. It is important to acknowledge, as with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Private and public sector employment estimates are updated on a quarterly (3-monthly) basis alongside the publication of the Public Sector Employment First Release. The latest available statistics are for December 2008 (Quarter 4).
	The requested data are attached at Annex A.
	
		
			  Annex A: Public and private sector employment: United Kingdom, (thousand) seasonally adjusted 
			Public sector( 1,2,3,4)  Private sector( 4,5)  Total employment( 6,7) 
			Thousand  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 All in employment September 2008 5,770 19.6 23,610 80.4 29,380 
			  December 2008 5,780 19.7 23,600 80.3 29,380 
			 (1) Estimates derived from public sector organisations. (2) Estimates for Northern Ireland included in the UK total are sourced from the Quarterly Employment Survey and are based on jobs rather than employees. (3) Estimates for December 2007 onwards are based partly on projections. (4). Northern Rock Plc was reclassified for statistical purposes from the private to the public sector on 9 October 2007. (5) Estimated as the difference between LFS total employment and the data from public sector organisations. (6) LFS data for September refers to August-October and December refers to November-January. (7) Labour Force Survey employment; All aged 16 and over; seasonally adjusted.  Note: Details of the sampling variability of national Labour Force Survey estimates are included each month in the Labour Market Statistics First Release, available on www.statistics.gov.uk  Source:  Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Force Survey and returns from public sector organisations

Fires: Children

Derek Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many children died in house fires in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children died in house fires in each year since 2001. (269307)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths of children aged under 16 years who died from smoke, fire or flames in the home, in England and Wales, from 2001 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Number of deaths of children( 1)  with an underlying cause of smoke, fire or flames in the home( 2) , England and Wales( 3) , 2001-07( 4) 
			   Deaths 
			 2001 24 
			 2002 39 
			 2003 30 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 24 
			 2006 25 
			 2007 15 
			 (1) For the purposes of mortality statistics, children are defined as persons under the age of 16. Figures exclude deaths at ages under 28 days. (2) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X00-X09, X76, X97 and Y26 where the death occurred in a private home. These include deaths given a verdict of accident, assault, suicide or undermined intent. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

History: Publications

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consideration is being given to new subjects for an official history; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We are conducting an internal review into selection and production for the Government's Official History Programme. The review will be concluded by the summer.

Immigrants: Employment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number and proportion of the working population which are  (a) legal and  (b) illegal migrants.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of how many and what proportion of the working population are (a) legal and (b) illegal migrants (269154).
	The Office for National Statistics collects data on the working population from the Annual Population Survey which covers residents of the UK. However this does not collect information on the legal status of workers.
	On 30 June 2005 the Home Office published the outcome of the assessment of the applicability to the UK of the methods used by researchers and government agencies in other countries to estimate the size of the illegal population. A copy of the Research Development Statistics (RDS) On-line report 29/05Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001 can be found at:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2905.pdf

Manufacturing Industries: Employment

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many jobs in the manufacturing sector there were in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many jobs in the manufacturing sector there were in (a) West Chelmsford constituency, (b) Essex and (c) England in each of the last 10 years. (269093)
	Table 1 shows the number of employees in the manufacturing sector for 1998 to 2007, which is the latest available period. The figures are from the Annual Business Inquiry which produces estimates of the number of employees. These figures exclude self employed jobs. An estimate of jobs is not available at the detailed regional level requested.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of employees in the manufacturing sector, 1998 to 2007 
			   West Chelmsford constituency  Essex  England 
			 1998 5,100 75,900 3,504,700 
			 1999 5,300 69,800 3,395,500 
			 2000 4,300 73,500 3,279,500 
			 2001 4,500 71,200 3,121,000 
			 2002 4,900 68,700 2,965,600 
			 2003 4,900 63,800 2,807,100 
			 2004 4,500 63,100 2,665,400 
			 2005 4,800 61,300 2,549,700 
			 2006 4,400 56,800 2,485,000 
			 2007 3,800 52,900 2,439,100 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates for 2002 and earlier periods are based on SIC(92). Estimates for 2003 onwards are based on SIC(03). 2. Estimates for 2005 and earlier periods are on a different basis to those from 2006 onwards. A preliminary assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimated total number of employees (for GB at the whole economy level) was reduced by around 1 per cent. Direct comparisons of employee estimates should therefore be treated with caution.  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

Opinion Leader Research: Complaints

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  when the Central Office of Information was first informed by Opinion Leader Research about the complaint against Opinion Leader Research made to the Market Research Standards Board by Greenpeace;
	(2)  whether the Central Office of Information has been involved in any submissions to the Market Research Standards Board made by or on behalf of Opinion Leader Research; and whether it has made submissions to the Market Research Standards Board regarding Greenpeace's complaint against Opinion Leader Research;
	(3)  whether the Central Office of Information has made representations to  (a) Opinion Leader Research and  (b) the Market Research Standards Board (MRSB) on the (i) timing and (ii) publication of the MRSB's decision about Greenpeace's complaint against Opinion Leader Research;
	(4)  how many meetings took place between the Central Office of Information and  (a) Opinion Leader Research and  (b) the Market Research Standards Board in relation to Greenpeace's complaint against Opinion Leader Research; on what dates those meetings took place; and who attended each meeting;

Liam Byrne: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	 Letter from Peter Buchanan, dated March 2009:
	As Acting Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions [267088, 267089, 267090 and 267091] on a complaint made against Opinion Leader Research.
	The Central Office of Information was first made aware by Opinion Leader Research of the complaint made against them to the Market Research Standards Board by Greenpeace on the 19 September 2007.
	The Central Office of Information has made two submissions to the MRSB regarding Greenpeace's complaint against Opinion Leader Research. At the request of Opinion Leader Research, the Central Office of Information also provided information and comments on their submissions.
	The Central Office of Information made no representations to Opinion Leader Research or the Market Research Standards Board about the timing or publication of the decision about Greenpeace's complaint.
	The Central Office of Information had two meetings with Opinion Leader Research and BERR on 17 October 2007 and 28 February 2008. The following attended these meetings Hergen Haye, Fiona Wood and Brian Parry. The meetings also included other junior officials from both BERR and the Central Office of Information. The Central Office of Information also attended a meeting between Opinion Leader Research and the Market Research Standards Board on 22 October 2007. Fiona Wood attended this meeting on behalf of the Central Office of Information.

Regional Ministers

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Permanent Secretary of his Department has authorised expenditure on travel costs for the Parliamentary assistants to  (a) the Minister for the West Midlands and  (b) the Minister for London in accordance with the circumstances envisaged in the Cabinet Secretary's letter to Permanent Secretaries of 2 December 2008.

Liam Byrne: No travel costs have been incurred by the Cabinet Office for the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for the West Midlands. The Minister for London is not a Minister in the Cabinet Office.

Regional Ministers

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Cabinet Secretary has taken to inform the Director of the Government Office in each region of the provisions of his letter to Permanent Secretaries of 2 December 2008 in respect of the circumstances in which a Department may pay the travel costs of a Parliamentary assistant to a Regional Minister; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Cabinet Secretary's letter of 2 December 2008 to permanent secretaries was copied to regional directors of the Government offices.

Somalia

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Somali citizens are resident in the UK.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning how many Somali citizens are currently resident in the United Kingdom. (269752)
	The Office for National Statistics collects data on nationality from the Annual Population Survey, which is the Labour Force Survey (LFS) plus various sample boosts, which covers residents of the UK. The latest estimates available are for the 12 month period of July 2007 to June 2008, these show that the estimated number of UK residents with Somalian nationality was 71,000. The margin of error around this estimate is +/- 11,000. It should be noted that the LFS:-
	excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent
	excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc)
	is grossed to population estimates of those living in private households that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more.

Unemployment

David Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were  (a) claiming jobseeker's allowance and  (b) unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation definitions in each quarter since 1979.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were (a) claiming jobseeker's allowance and (b) unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation survey in each quarter since 1979. (268743)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LPS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of people who were unemployed in each quarter since 1979. It also shows the number of persons who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and its predecessors adjusted on a consistent basis.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty, shown in a footnote to the table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons unemployed or claiming jobseeker's allowance 
			  Unemployed 
			   Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			 January to March 1979 1,420 
			 April to June 1979 1,405 
			 July to September 1979 1,430 
			 October to December 1979 1,471 
			 January to March 1980 1,558 
			 April to June 1980 1,700 
			 July to September 1980 1,905 
			 October to December 1980 2,169 
			 January to March 1981 2,403 
			 April to June 1981 2,588 
			 July to September 1981 2,684 
			 October to December 1981 2,761 
			 January to March 1982 2,803 
			 April to June 1982 2,841 
			 July to September 1982 2,897 
			 October to December 1982 2,960 
			 January to March 1983 2,998 
			 April to June 1983 3,049 
			 July to September 1983 3,109 
			 October to December 1983 3,167 
			 January to March 1984 3,243 
			 April to June 1984 3,265 
			 July to September 1984 3,238 
			 October to December 1984 3,217 
			 January to March 1985 3,180 
			 April to June 1985 3,152 
			 July to September 1985 3,137 
			 October to December 1985 3,135 
			 January to March 1986 3,150 
			 April to June 1986 3,159 
			 July to September 1986 3,177 
			 October to December 1986 3,156 
			 January to March 1987 3,113 
			 April to June 1987 3,021 
			 July to September 1987 2,885 
			 October to December 1987 2,741 
			 January to March 1988 2,613 
			 April to June 1988 2,490 
			 July to September 1988 2,385 
			 October to December 1988 2,293 
			 January to March 1989 2,179 
			 April to June 1989 2,083 
			 July to September 1989 2,045 
			 October to December 1989 2,021 
			 January to March 1990 2,004 
			 April to June 1990 2,002 
			 July to September 1990 2,049 
			 October to December 1990 2,158 
			 January to March 1991 2,306 
			 April to June 1991 2,492 
			 July to September 1991 2,624 
			 October to December 1991 2,697 
			 January to March 1992 2,762 
			 April to June 1992 2,778 
			 July to September 1992 2,815 
			 October to December 1992 2,929 
			 January to March 1993 3,001 
			 April to June 1993 2,932 
			 July to September 1993 2,890 
			 October to December 1993 2,890 
			 January to March 1994 2,804 
			 April to June 1994 2,736 
			 July to September 1994 2,638 
			 October to December 1994 2,520 
			 January to March 1995 2,496 
			 April to June 1995 2,444 
			 July to September 1995 2,446 
			 October to December 1995 2.353 
			 January to March 1996 2.330 
			 April to June 1996 2,339 
			 July to September 1996 2,284 
			 October to December 1996 2,230 
			 January to March 1997 2,085 
			 April to June 1997 2,050 
			 July to September 1997 1,951 
			 October to December 1997 1,865 
			 January to March 1998 1,813 
			 April to June 1998 1,791 
			 July to September 1998 1,787 
			 October to December 1998 1,765 
			 January to March 1999 1,779 
			 April to June 1999 1,743 
			 July to September 1999 1,704 
			 October to December 1999 1,684 
			 January to March 2000 1,681 
			 April to June 2000 1,600 
			 July to September 2000 1,550 
			 October to December 2000 1,519 
			 January to March 2001 1,480 
			 April to June 2001 1,470 
			 July to September 2001 1,489 
			 October to December 2001 1,519 
			 January to March 2002 1,513 
			 April to June 2002 1,521 
			 July to September 2002 1,566 
			 October to December 2002 1,514 
			 January to March 2003 1,528 
			 April to June 2003 1,468 
			 July to September 2003 1,504 
			 October to December 2003 1,457 
			 January to March 2004 1,431 
			 April to June 2004 1,439 
			 July to September 2004 1,404 
			 October to December 2004 1,423 
			 January to March 2005 1,413 
			 April to June 2005 1,438 
			 July to September 2005 1,442 
			 October to December 2005 1,566 
			 January to March 2006 1,601 
			 April to June 2006 1,687 
			 July to September 2006 1,690 
			 October to December 2006 1,698 
			 January to March 2007 1,704 
			 April to June 2007 1,662 
			 July to September 2007 1,643 
			 October to December 2007 1,602 
			 January to March 2008 1,624 
			 April to June 2008 1,685 
			 July to September 2008 1,825 
			 October to December 2008(1) *1,971 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobseeker' s A llowance 
			   Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			 March 1979 1,107 
			 June 1979 1,058 
			 September 1979 1,034 
			 December 1979 1,044 
			 March 1980 1,125 
			 June 1980 1,262 
			 September 1980 1,492 
			 December 1980 1,777 
			 March 1981 1,984 
			 June 1981 2,157 
			 September 1981 2,283 
			 December 1981 2,373 
			 March 1982 2,426 
			 June 1982 2,499 
			 September 1982 2,583 
			 December 1982 2,674 
			 March 1983 2,723 
			 June 1983 2,780 
			 September 1983 2,788 
			 December 1983 2,814 
			 March 1984 2,858 
			 June 1984 2,869 
			 September 1984 2,925 
			 December 1984 2.958 
			 March 1985 2,977 
			 June 1985 2,989 
			 September 1985 3,005 
			 December 1985 3,033 
			 March 1986 3,086 
			 June 1986 3,086 
			 September 1986 3,072 
			 December 1986 3,021 
			 March 1987 2,925 
			 June 1987 2,808 
			 September 1987 2,678 
			 December 1987 2,536 
			 March 1988 2,406 
			 June 1988 2,272 
			 September 1988 2,156 
			 December 1988 2,006 
			 March 1989 1,877 
			 June 1989 1,762 
			 September 1989 1,685 
			 December 1989 1,630 
			 March 1990 1,584 
			 June 1990 1,584 
			 September 1990 1,681 
			 December 1990 1,847 
			 March 1991 2,080 
			 June 1991 2,275 
			 September 1991 2,435 
			 December 1991 2,536 
			 March 1992 2,636 
			 June 1992 2,711 
			 September 1992 2,808 
			 December 1992 2,960 
			 March 1993 2,923 
			 June 1993 2,902 
			 September 1993 2,856 
			 December 1993 2,765 
			 March 1994 2,712 
			 June 1994 2,625 
			 September 1994 2,525 
			 December 1994 2,407 
			 March 1995 2,342 
			 June 1995 2,294 
			 September 1995 2,234 
			 December 1995 2,222 
			 March 1996 2,179 
			 June 1996 2,135 
			 September 1996 2,044 
			 December 1996 1,872 
			 March 1997 1,704 
			 June 1997 1,572 
			 September 1997 1,498 
			 December 1997 1,411 
			 March 1998 1,365 
			 June 1998 1,344 
			 September 1998 1,327 
			 December 1998 1,314 
			 March 1999 1,298 
			 June 1999 1,263 
			 September 1999 1,223 
			 December 1999 1,159 
			 March 2000 1,144 
			 June 2000 1,094 
			 September 2000 1,045 
			 December 2000 1,030 
			 March 2001 991 
			 June 2001 962 
			 September 2001 946 
			 December 2001 967 
			 March 2002 948 
			 June 2002 950 
			 September 2002 944 
			 December 2002 935 
			 March 2003 941 
			 June 2003 947 
			 September 2003 929 
			 December 2003 906 
			 March 2004 881 
			 June 2004 847 
			 September 2004 833 
			 December 2004 826 
			 March 2005 830 
			 June 2005 863 
			 September 2005 876 
			 December 2005 908 
			 March 2006 936 
			 June 2006 957 
			 September 2006 958 
			 December 2006 938 
			 March 2007 905 
			 June 2007 863 
			 September 2007 835 
			 December 2007 808 
			 March 2008 799 
			 June 2008 845 
			 September 2008 944 
			 December 2008 1,159 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. KEY Coefficient of Variation (CV) (percentage) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV [le]5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV [le] 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV [le] 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Source: Labour Force Survey/Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Unemployment: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people resident in Bournemouth were unemployed in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people resident in Bournemouth were unemployed in each of the last 10 years. (269063)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics for local areas using model based estimates based on Annual Population Survey and administrative data.
	Table 1 gives estimates for Bournemouth for 12 month periods ending February, from 1997 to 2004, and for 12 month periods ending March, from 2005 to 2008. The latest available estimate, for the 12 months ending June 2008, has also been provided.
	These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of unemployed persons aged 16 and over, resident in Bournemouth 
			  12 months ending :  Thousand 
			 February 1997 6 
			 February 1998 5 
			 February 1999 4 
			 February 2000 5 
			 February 2001 4 
			 February 2002 4 
			 February 2003 4 
			 February 2004 3 
			 March 2005 3 
			 March 2006 3 
			 March 2007 4 
			 March 2008 4 
			 June 2008 4 
			  Note: Information about the sampling variability of these model based estimates is published on the ONS website at: www.statistics.gov.uk  Source:  ONS Model based estimates

Unemployment: Statistics

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what account the figures on unemployment produced by the Office for National Statistics take of individuals participating in New Deal schemes operated by the Department for Work and Pensions;
	(2)  whether those participating in the  (a) Work Trial,  (b) Workstep,  (c) Work Preparation,  (d) Work Path,  (e) Employment Zones and  (f) Progress2Work programme are classified as unemployed for the purposes of unemployment statistics.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	what account the figures on unemployment produced by the Office for National Statistics take of individuals participating in New Deal schemes operated by the Department for Work and Pensions. (268722).
	whether those participating in the (a) Work Trial, (b) Workstep, (c) Work Preparation, (d) Work Path, (e) Employment Zones and (f) Progress2Work programme are classified as unemployed for purposes of unemployment statistics. (268685).
	Estimates of unemployment published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	The definition of unemployment follows that recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)an agency of the United Nations. In the LFS, people are classified as unemployed if:
	(a) they consider themselves to be without a job, want a job, and report that they have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks; or
	(b) they report that they are out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start it in the next two weeks.
	This ILO internationally-standard definition is applied in the LFS so that people are defined as unemployed purely on the basis of their behaviour in the labour market. Therefore the definition of unemployment is independent of someone's participation on any training scheme. Consequently, people on such schemes who satisfy the above criteria will be classified as unemployed and others will not.

Voluntary Organisations

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the procedures are for people in Oxfordshire to access the volunteer brokerage scheme for unemployed people.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	We believe that volunteering alongside looking for work can help to develop useful skills for work and keep jobseekers in touch with the labour market. As long as jobseekers are available for and actively seeking work, they can take part in unlimited volunteering work.
	Jobcentre Plus has over 2,400 partnerships with local third sector organisations across the country. These complement the service Jobcentre Plus offers, providing customers access to additional advice and support. Personal advisers in Oxfordshire have five main websites that they use and share with customers who would benefit from doing voluntary work. They are: Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Volunteers, Smart, Do-it and the Oxfordshire county council website.
	In addition to these existing partnerships, new measures to encourage volunteering as a means of developing skills for work are being introduced as part of the jobseeker's support at six months package from April 2009. Through this package, those who have been unemployed and claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more will have access to a range of support including recruitment subsidies, work-focused training, help to start a new business and access to work-focused volunteering placements delivered through third sector partners.
	Jobseekers who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months and would like to volunteer to maintain or develop their skills for work can discuss with their Jobcentre Plus personal adviser how they can make use of the extra support on offer from April 2009.

Voluntary Organisations: Job Creation

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many new jobs were created in the third sector in  (a) each year since 2004 and  (b) each month since January 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many jobs there were in the third sector in each  (a) year since 2004 and  (b) month since January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	how many jobs there were in the third sector in (a) each year since 2004 and (b) each month since January 2008; and if she will make a statement. (269359)
	how many new jobs were created in the third sector in (a) each year since 2004 and (b) each month since January 2008; and if she will make a statement. (269358)
	Information on the number of jobs in the third sector is not available centrally. However, quarterly estimates on those aged 16 and over employed in charities, voluntary organisations and trusts can be provided for 2007 and 2008. These are shown in the attached table. Monthly estimates are not available.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is indicated in the table.
	The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata, weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. They are not entirely consistent with employment figures published in the current monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, which are weighted using more tip-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  People aged 16 and over employed by charities, voluntary organisations and trusts Quarter 4 2004 to 2007; all calendar quarters from quarter 1 2008 to quarter 4 2008 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   People (thousand) 
			 2004 Q4 624 
			 2005 Q4 630 
			 2006 Q4 668 
			 2007 Q4 671 
			 2008 Q1 701 
			 2008 Q2 721 
			 2008 Q3 724 
			 2008 Q4(1) *716 
			 (1 )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 = CV[le]5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV [le]10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV [le]20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.).  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

TREASURY

Bank Services

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's latest estimate is of the number and proportion of working age people  (a) in each age group and  (b) in total without a bank account in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to reducing financial exclusion and increasing the number of people who can manage their money by using a bank account.
	The Family Resources Survey data for 2006-07, published in June last year, shows that the number of adults living without access to a bank account fell from 2.8 million in 2002-03 to 2.1 million in 2006-07.
	The Financial Inclusion Taskforce recently published their third annual report on access to banking. The report contains profiles of the number of people in the UK without access to a bank account, including breakdowns by age. You can find the report on the Taskforce's website:
	http://www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk

Banks: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's press notice of 19 January 2009 on the Asset Protection Scheme, what the agreed  (a) principles and  (b) guidelines for managing assets under the terms of the Asset Protection Scheme are;
	(2)  what documents were supplied by participants in the Asset Protection Scheme relating to the implementation, administration and compliance with the applicable remuneration policy; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such document;
	(3)  what criteria will be used to assess whether participants have a credible senior management team.

Ian Pearson: Further details on the operation of the Asset Protection Scheme, including the management and governance of protected assets, and remuneration arrangements for the managers of protected assets, are set out in the document on the Asset Protection Scheme that the Chancellor placed in the House Library on 27 February.

Banks: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether bank assets under the asset loan guarantee scheme will be required to be on a balance sheet; what other requirements will apply to methods of accounting for them; and whether the accountancy treatment of such assets will be agreed with the Financial Reporting Council and the Accountancy Standards Board.

Ian Pearson: Assets are required to remain on the participant's balance sheet at all times in order to be protected under the Asset Protection Scheme.
	The banks participating in the Asset Protection Scheme will continue to be required to comply with international financial reporting standards.

Banks: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to ensure compliance with section 26 of Appendix A to the document on the UK Asset Protection Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Institutions participating in the Asset Protection Scheme will be required to comply with asset management requirements prescribed by HMT.
	More detail on the requirements will be set out in the Accession Agreements with the participating banks, when the due diligence process has been completed.

Banks: International Cooperation

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the UK members are of the UK-US working group to develop proposals to monitor and regulate the banking system; what the terms of reference of the group are; and on how many occasions it has met.

Ian Pearson: The UK is working closely with its international partners through the G20 to strengthen regulation and supervision of the financial system. The G20 has established working groups to develop recommendations on means of strengthening transparency and accountability, enhancing sound regulation, strengthening prudential regulation, promoting integrity in financial markets, and reinforcing international co-operation.
	G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met in March 2009 and agreed measures to address these issues, which were discussed by Leaders at the London Summit on 2 April.

Banks: Ireland

Derek Conway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguard measures have been agreed with his Irish counterpart on the removal of Financial Services Authority cover for UK Anglo-Irish bond holders; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: UK depositors (including retail bond holders) with Anglo Irish Bank are protected by the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to 100,000 (c90,000), and by an additional temporary, unlimited, Irish Sovereign Guarantee until 2010. The Deposit Guarantee limit in Ireland was raised from 20,000 to 100,000 per depositor per institution on 21 September 2008. As this is higher than the protection offered by the UK deposit protection scheme (the Financial Services Compensation Scheme FSCS), Anglo Irish Bank has withdrawn from 'topping-up' its deposit protection to the level applicable in the UK. Under the old topping up arrangements, the FSCS would compensate retail depositors for deposits between 20,000 and 35,000 (50,000 from 8 October 2008).

Banks: Regulation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to require all banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority to publish an annual table showing their assets, liabilities, income, expenses, profits, employees and taxes for each jurisdiction that they operate in.

Ian Pearson: The legal framework of the Companies Act and accounting standards stipulate the information that companies are required to report for the benefit of their shareholders.
	Under the provisions of the Companies Act 2006, all UK companies (including financial services companies) are required to file annual accounts at Companies House. These accounts are a report of the company's activities and performance during the financial year.
	The Companies Act 2006 imposes a specific obligation on the directors of a company to satisfy themselves that the accounts give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the company taking account of income and expenses in respect of that financial year.
	Banks which report their accounts on the basis of UK generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards are required to show their financial position and results split by geographical area.
	In the case of a company not subject to the small companies regime, the average number of persons employed by the company in the financial year must be given in notes to the company's annual accounts.
	Under financial reporting standard 16, a company must report its current tax for the period in its profit and loss account.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of exempting from capital gains tax business owners who sell their businesses upon retirement up to the value of  (a) 100,000,  (b) 200,000,  (c) 300,000,  (d) 400,000,  (e) 500,000 and  (f) 1,000,000 in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Stephen Timms: The cost to the Exchequer would depend on how the exemption interacted with entrepreneurs' relief.

Carbon Emissions: Costs

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what benchmark financial cost per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions saved he uses when appraising expenditure on greenhouse gas abatement measures.

Angela Eagle: Supplementary guidance to the Treasury Green Book explains how greenhouse gas emissions are valued in policy appraisal. The guidance is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/Environment/climatechange/research/carboncost/index.htm

Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value for money assessment  (a) his Department and  (b) UK Financial Investments carried out before the Royal Bank of Scotland awarded its retail advertising account to Clemmow Hornby Inge partners.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 30 March 2009
	 Advertising contracts are a matter for the RBS board.

Council of Economic Advisers

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times the Council of Economic Advisers has met; when it last met; who the members of the Council are; how many civil servants attended each meeting of the Council; and how much the Council has spent on  (a) travel,  (b) hospitality and  (c) other expenses since June 2007.

Angela Eagle: The Prime Minister provides Parliament with details of special advisers through an annual written ministerial statement. This includes members of the Council of Economic Advisers, who are appointed on special adviser terms.
	The terms of reference for the Council of Economic Advisers are:
	To advise the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the design and implementation of policies for the achievement of the Government's economic objectives.
	In meeting these terms of reference, the Council meets regularly on an informal basis.
	Details of the Treasury's administration costs spending is published in the resource accounts and the departmental report, copies of which are available in the Library and via:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 November 2005,  Official Report, column 978W, to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb).

Departmental Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 716W, on Departmental ICT, for what reasons his Department's IT systems and services are not accredited as conforming to the ISO 27001 standard; and what assessment he has made of the effect on data security of compliance with the standard.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury's IT systems and services have recently been accredited in line with HMG standards, which closely conform to ISO 27001.

Departmental Mobile Phones and Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost;
	(3)  how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury no longer holds records of portable computers, BlackBerry and other mobile phone devices made available for the use of individuals prior to the creation of a shared IT service for HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in April 2007.
	Details of the dates of purchase of individual computers and mobile telephony devices are not available. Since 2007, a total of 472 laptop computers have been purchased centrally for use within HM Treasury, at a total cost of 270,000. Of these, three laptops are currently made available for the use of Government Ministers, and one for the use of a special adviser.
	There are also currently 207 BlackBerry devices in use across HM Treasury, including three by Ministers and five by special advisers. The total number of other mobile telephony devices is not available.
	The Treasury does not record the costs of acquiring or using BlackBerry devices (being all-in-one mobile phones, email devices, web browsers and organisers) or similar devices separately from other telecommunications costs, so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's officials of each grade attended a training course overseas paid for by his Department in each month since 2007; what his policy is on officials attending overseas training courses; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Disaggregated information on training courses attended by Treasury officials is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Treasury's central records show that four officials attended training with an overseas component in the period concerned: two directors and a deputy director participated in a National School of Government leadership programme, and in addition, the Treasury sponsored one range D (SEO /HEO equivalent) to undertake a masters degree in economics.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned 2010 changes to vehicle excise duty affecting purchases of new models of cars on automotive sales in  (a) 2010 and  (b) the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 16 March 2009
	Pre-Budget report 2008 confirmed that differential first year rates of vehicle excise duty (VED) would be introduced in 2010, in order to provide a stronger signal of vehicle emissions at the point of sale.
	As a result of these changes the Treasury expects sales of lower-emitting cars to increase and sales of higher-emitting cars to decrease. The Treasury does not hold data in relation to specific models of new cars and does not make assessments for specific models.
	Vehicle excise duty reforms will continue to incentivise the purchase of lower-emitting cars in future years, helping to deliver the long-term EU target of average new cars' emissions of 95 grams per kilometre by 2020. It is estimated that by 2020 around one million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved as a result of changes to VED rates and bands announced at pre-Budget report 2008.

Financial Institutions: Credit

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the proportion of  (a) mortgage and  (b) credit card lending carried out by non-bank lending institutions in each of the last three financial years;
	(2)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) non-bank lending institutions and (ii) organisations representative of non-bank lending organisations in the last 12 months; and on what date each such meeting took place.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to my response on 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1420W, to the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt).

Fred Goodwin

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will request UK Financial Investments to take steps to cancel the private security agreement paid by the Royal Bank of Scotland for the private home of Sir Fred Goodwin.

Ian Pearson: That is a matter for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Fred Goodwin

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions Sir Fred Goodwin has been invited to 11 Downing Street for  (a) official social engagements and  (b) meetings in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Gift Aid

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many smaller charities became eligible for the Gift Aid scheme following the 2008 Budget.

Stephen Timms: There were no changes to the qualifying conditions for charities to benefit from the Gift Aid scheme in Budget 2008.

Individual Savings Accounts

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from the taxation of  (a) individual savings accounts and  (b) the interest on individual savings accounts since 6 April 2008.

Ian Pearson: ISAs are tax-advantaged savings products. No tax is payable on interest or capital gains arising on investments held within ISAs, and therefore no revenue accrues to the Exchequer as a result. In 2007-8 the tax relief provided through ISAs amounted to an estimated 2.4 billion.
	A small amount of revenue may accrue to the Exchequer in the case of uninvested cash which is held for a period of time within a stocks and shares ISA, however this is not a result of tax. This is because interest earned on this cash is subject to a flat 20 per cent. charge to prevent abuse of the ISA regime. HMRC does not collect specific data on the income from this charge.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 322W, on hon. Members: correspondence, when the Economic Secretary plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 23 October 2008 on inclusion of non-bank building societies in the financial support package for the banking industry.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 March 2009
	A reply has been sent to the right hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 October 2008 from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead on finance and investment in Icelandic banks.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Eastbourne of 10 October, 25 November and 14 December 2008 and 4 February 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent, Mr M Wilberforce; and when he expects the matter raised in the correspondence to be resolved.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Salisbury of 16 January 2009 on Northern Rock mortgage interest rate changes.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 26 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Mr D Powell of Iron Acton, on transfer of tax-free allowances.

Stephen Timms: I replied to the hon. Member on 7 April.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 21 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Mr A Kybert of Tate, on banks' support for small businesses.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 24 February 2009 with regard to a constituent, reference 3-89302009; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply.

Stephen Timms: I replied to the hon. Member on 7 April.

Members: Correspondence

George Young: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury plans to reply to the letter of 15 October 2008 from the right hon. Member for North West Hampshire, on Icesave, and to the letters of reminder sent on 24 November 2008, 30 January 2009 and 26 February 2009.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the right hon. Member.

Mortgages

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) banks,  (b) building societies and  (c) other lending institutions have (i) withdrawn from the UK mortgage market and (ii) stopped accepting new mortgage business during the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 99W.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what basis the eligibility of financial institutions to participate in the new guarantee scheme for residential mortgage-backed securities will be determined; and whether UK non-bank lenders will be permitted access to the scheme;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on competition in the UK mortgage market of restricting access to the new guarantee scheme for residential mortgage-backed securities to banks and building societies;
	(3)  pursuant to the oral statement of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 482-6, on financial markets, whether any schemes being developed to encourage lending to businesses and consumers will be open to UK non-bank financial institutions;
	(4)  whether his Department plans to develop a scheme to support new lending by UK non-bank financial institutions.

Ian Pearson: On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.
	This included a guarantee scheme for asset-backed securities to help improve lenders' access to wholesale funding markets and help promote robust and stable markets in the medium term. The scheme draws on the recommendations made by Sir James Crosby and will commence in April 2009 subject to state aid approval.
	UK banks and building societies (i.e. deposit takers currently eligible for the Credit Guarantee Scheme) are eligible to participate in the new scheme. The Government will work closely with the industry and keep the scope of the scheme under review. Eligible institutions will be able to access the scheme subject to fulfilling conditions that will be announced by the Debt Management Office in due course.
	The Government have not, at this time, produced any assessment of the impact on competition in UK mortgages of limiting participation to deposit taking institutions. However, the measures announced on 19 January were put in place with the express purpose of boosting confidence in the banking sector and are part of ongoing, successful efforts to stabilise financial markets.

Personal Equity Plans

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was derived by the Exchequer from the taxation of personal equity plans in each year since such plans have been in operation.

Ian Pearson: Personal equity plans were tax-advantaged savings products, not revenue-raising schemes.
	When ISAs were introduced in 1999, PEPs initially continued to exist but could not be subscribed to, and new accounts could not be opened. However, from April 2008, all PEPs automatically became stocks and shares ISAs as part of the ISA reforms. PEPs are therefore no longer in operation.

Personal Income

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an update to HM Revenue and Customs' tax table 2.5 based on the 2006-07 Survey of Personal Incomes; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Table 2.5 'Income tax liabilities, by income range' based on the 2006-07 Survey of Personal Incomes will be available on the HM Revenue and Customs website at the end of May 2009.
	Information for 2007-08 to 2009-10 will be projected in line with Budget 2009.

Post Offices

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions on the underwriting of the banking service offered through the Post Office network his Department has had.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Post Office provides a wide range of financial services. Details of the specific protections in place are available from the Post Office website:
	http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/contentl?catId=19300232mediaId=92400749

Public Sector: Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 89-90W, on banks: finance, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Asset Purchase Scheme on levels of public sector pension scheme deficits.

Ian Pearson: Asset purchases undertaken by the Bank of England will increase the flow of money within the economy. This will help to revive the flow of credit within the economy, encourage spending and support economic activity. A prosperous and stable economy is vital for pension schemes to meet their obligations.
	Public sector pensions are predominantly run on a pay as you go basis. This means that pension liabilities are financed when they become due, mainly from contributions into pension schemes and otherwise out of other current Government revenues.
	For funded pension schemes, to the extent that asset purchases by the Bank of England lead to movements in bond yields, this will affect the present value of pension funds liabilities, and also the present value of bonds and other assets held by the fund. The overall effect on an individual fund's financial position will depend on how closely the fund's assets and liabilities are matched in terms of their exposure to interest rate risk. This will vary across funds, reflecting differences in the composition of each fund's assets and liabilities.

Students: Loans

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many persons HM Revenue and Customs identified as having made full repayment of a student loan in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what measures are in place for HM Revenue and Customs to notify the Student Loans Company of full repayment of a student loan;
	(3)  how long on average HM Revenue and Customs took to inform the Student Loans Company that a graduate had paid back the full amount of a student loan in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs collects student loan repayments through the tax system, and passes on repayment information to the Student Loans Company (SLC). SLC is responsible for maintaining and updating borrower loan accounts, and informs HMRC when collection should begin and end. HMRC does not hold any information on borrowers' outstanding balances, and is not able to tell when a loan has been fully repaid.

Taxation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has examined the practice in other tax jurisdictions of publishing the tax returns of individuals; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of publishing the tax returns of individual taxpayers.

Stephen Timms: The Government regularly monitor developments in other jurisdictions, including in jurisdictions where individual tax returns are published, such as Sweden and (in the case of elected officials) the United States. Tax returns of individuals contain confidential information and the UK Government have no plans to publish them.

Taxation: Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the level of additional taxation on  (a) electricity,  (b) natural gas,  (c) oil,  (d) liquefied petroleum gas which would be equivalent to the required subsidy for biomass to meet the UK renewables energy target in 2020.

Angela Eagle: The Government do not hypothecate revenuespending priorities are not, in general, determined by the way in which the money is raised.
	The expected costs of meeting our renewable energy targets were published in the Government's Renewable Energy Strategy last summer. The document can be found at:
	http://renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk/consultation/consultation_summary

VAT: Construction

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will widen the range of construction products and the labour associated with their installation to which a reduced rate of value added tax applies.

Stephen Timms: All taxes are kept under review and any changes are made as part of the Budget process.
	VAT is governed by EU agreements entered into by successive Governments. Under these agreements EU member states may only apply a reduced VAT rate to a prescribed list of goods and services.
	The Government only apply reduced VAT rates where they believe these would provide well-targeted and cost-effective support for their policy objectives, compared with other measures.

TRANSPORT

A1079: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were  (a) killed and  (b) injured in road traffic incidents on the A1079 road in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of  (a) killed and  (b) injured casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents on the A1079 in each of the last five years is given in the table:
	
		
			   Number of casualties 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  (a) Killed 4 5 11 2 0 
			  (b) Injured 255 198 184 154 182 
			 Total casualties 259 203 195 156 182 
		
	
	The 2008 data will be available at the end of the June 2009.

A127: Speed Limits

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the system of average speed check cameras on the A127 between Basildon and Southend will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The operation of the average speed cameras on the A127 will therefore be a matter for the Essex road safety partnership.

Airports: High Speed Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is working on proposals for a draft national policy statement on  (a) airports and  (b) high speed rail.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is planning to produce three national policy statements (NPS) on ports, national networks (i.e. strategic roads and railways, including strategic rail freight interchanges), and airports respectively.

Aviation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to issue a new version of the Aviation White Paper to take account of developments since 2004.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since the publication of The Future of Air Transport White Paper in 2003, the Department for Transport has undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that the long-term strategy set out in the White Paper remains up-to-date, including: The Future of Air Transport Progress Report in 2006; the consultation on Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport and the decisions announced on 15 January 2009, and updated UK air passenger demand and CO2 forecasts in 2007 and 2009. A further progress report on the White Paper is due to be published within the next two years, which will take into account developments across the range of White Paper policies. The Government have also stated their intention to produce a national policy statement on airports, based on the Air Transport White Paper, which satisfies the requirements of the 2008 Planning Act.

Cycleways: North West

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycle lanes were introduced in local authority areas in the North West in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: This information is no longer collected centrally by the Department for Transport as part of our drive to reduce the burden upon local authorities in respect of the information we request annually from them.
	However, we do hold some historical information. This has been placed in the Libraries of the House and covers the whole of England. The data are not verified by the Department, may be incomplete and may include estimates.

Cycling: Greater Manchester

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to improve facilities for cyclists in the Greater Manchester area.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has allocated 98 million from 2009 to 2011 to Greater Manchester to spend on integrated transport. It is for Greater Manchester authorities to determine how much of this they allocate to improving facilities in Greater Manchester including completion of the cycle network and schemes at cycle investment sites.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport began discussions with the Carbon Trust in June 2007, and commenced a targeted approach, concentrating on the main energy using areas of the Department identified in the Sustainable Development in Government Report.
	This resulted in the completion of a Carbon Management Energy Efficiency Report in January 2008, which made recommendations to the Department on those areas where the greatest energy (carbon emissions) savings might be made.
	The Department for Transport will consult the Carbon Trust to determine the best next steps. The main objective of working with the Carbon Trust will be to continue improving the sustainable performance of the Department for Transport estate.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested on laptop computers for the Department for Transport and its agencies is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   DfT(c)( 1)  DVLA( 2)  HA( 3)  DSA  MCA  VOSA( 4)  VCA  GCDA 
			   Total  Cost  000  Total  Cost  000  Total  Cost  000  Total  Cost  000  Total  Cost  000  Total  Total  Cost  000  Total  Cost  000 
			 2005-06 349 405 58 45 120  74 50 13 15 n/a 28 34 0  
			 2006-07 195 216 105 86 423  33 22 25 24 n/a 12 15 12 6 
			 2007-08 210 229 83 83 31  33 22 540 662 n/a 30 36 4 3 
			 2008-09 301 320 406 278 0  301 203 200 82 n/a 26 31 5 3 
			 (1) Totals include two in 2005-06 and one in 2007-08 for Ministers and one in 2005-06 and one in 2008-09 for special advisers. (2) 2008-09 figure high due to Tech Refresh project. (3) Separate costs for laptops can be provided only at disproportionate cost. (4) The agency made use of a total of approximately 1,050 laptops across the period, but these were provided as part of a wider IT contract and were not purchased or owned by VOSA. Separate costs not available.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport is committed to improving the thermal efficiency of its buildings, subject to the development of business cases addressing the value for money, affordability and carbon implications.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport including its agencies reports performance data on energy efficiency per m(2) of its estate annually as part of the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) reporting process. The Department for Transport was formed in 2002-03 and therefore has this year as its baseline for energy targets under SDiG.
	In the last published SDiG Report for 2006-07 the Department for Transport recorded an energy efficiency figure of 293 kWh per m(2) compared to a baseline of 277 kWh per m(2). The figure for 2007-08 is due to be published in the next SDiG report on 27 April. The Department expects to see an improvement on the 2006-07 figure, with further work to do to achieve the 15 per cent. reduction by 2010.

Departmental Lost Property

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether officials in his Department who have lost laptops that were the property of his Department in the last 12 months have been charged the full value of replacement.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport includes seven agencies, a shared service centre and the central Department, with a total staff of over 19,000. We do not therefore have comprehensive records. Records held centrally however show that no members of staff have been charged for the replacement value of laptops lost in the last 12 months.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested on BlackBerrys and mobile telephones for the Department for Transport and its agencies is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   Df T(c)( 1)  DVLA( 2)  HA( 3)  DSA( 4)  MCA( 5)  VOSA( 6)  VCA( 7)  GCDA( 8) 
			 2005-06 Bills37,000 (all mobiles as no BlackBerrys purchased in 2005-06) Not available 195,000 43,000 No BlackBerry purchases. Bills129,000 1,000 spent on mobiles. Bills379,000 10,000 17,000 
			 2006-07 63,000 on purchase of BlackBerrys. Bills96 Not available 255,000 41,000 4,000 on BlackBerry purchases. Bills 117,000 Bills310,000 17,000 30,000 
			 2007-08 18,000 on purchase of BlackBerrys. Bills157,000 Not available 387,000 48,000 208,000 on BlackBerry purchases for 2007-08 and 2008-09. Bills117,000 3,000 on purchase of BlackBerrys. Bills287,000 25,000 33,000 
			 2008-09 (to date) 11,000 on purchase of BlackBerrys. Bills255,000 Mobile purchase15,000. Bills52,000 Figures not yet available 52,000 BlackBerry purchases for 2008-09 included in 2007-08 Bills102,000 2,000 spent on mobiles. 1,000 on purchase of BlackBerrys. Bills258,000 27,000 33,000 
			 (1) Separation of costs between purchase and rental of mobiles, or rental and running costs for BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all. Details for Ministers and special advisers not recorded separately. (2) No BlackBerrys purchased by DVLA. (3) Separation of costs between purchase and rental of mobiles, or rental and running costs of BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all. (4) Separation of costs between purchase and rental of mobiles, or rental and running costs for BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all. (5) Figures for purchase of mobiles not available, cannot split between BlackBerrys and mobiles on running costs. (6) Separation of running costs for BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all. (7) Separation of costs between purchase and rental of mobiles, or rental and running costs for BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all. (8) Separation of costs between purchase and rental of mobiles, or rental and running costs for BlackBerrys and mobiles can be provided only at disproportionate cost, therefore Bills figures include all.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and who provided such training.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 1 April 2009
	Training is provided to Ministers as necessary in order to carry out their duties effectively under the Ministerial Code.

Driving Offences: Fines

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speeding tickets have been issued on the basis of evidence from the average speed check cameras on the A13 between Basildon and Southend since their inception.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The average speed cameras on the A13 were deployed in 2008. The number of speeding tickets issued will therefore be a matter for the Essex road safety partnership.

Driving: Licensing

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to driving licence holders of applying for renewal of a photo driving licence every 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The current fee for renewing a photocard licence is 20 with predicted volumes for 2009-10 of 1.9 million. The annualised cost of the licence would therefore be 2.

Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much freight has been carried by  (a) road,  (b) rail,  (c) water and  (d) air in each region in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Published regional freight data are available from the following sources.
	 (a) Table 7.1 of Regional Transport Statistics 2008 shows goods lifted by region of origin. Table 7.3 of Regional Transport Statistics 2008 shows goods moved by region of origin.
	The publication is available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/regionaldata/rts/regtranstats2008
	 (b) Rail freight data by region are not available.
	 (c) Table 7.5 of Regional Transport Statistics 2008 gives a regional breakdown of foreign and domestic sea freight traffic at UK ports for the years 2004 to 2007. Data for earlier years back to 1999 are available from earlier editions.
	Regional Transport Statistics editions are available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/regionaldata/rts/
	These tables do not include inland waterways traffic, which is not available by region. Table 5.10 in Transport Statistics Great Britain shows goods lifted on the inland major waterway routes. Copies of Transport Statistics Great Britain have been placed in the House Library and are also available on the Department for Transport website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/
	 (d) Table 8.3 in Regional Transport Statistics shows freight lifted at UK airports by region for 1997-2007. Freight lifted includes both picked up and set down.
	2008 data for each airport are available on the CAA website in table 13.2 at:
	http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=80pagetype=88sglid=3fld=2008Annual

Heathrow Airport: Public Consultation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 805W, on Heathrow Airport: public consultation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the supplementary analysis of the responses from stakeholders.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The supplementary analysis was undertaken solely for the purposes of presenting internal advice. The full report of consultation responses by Ipsos/MORI/Detica has been published, and individual responses have been available for inspection since the Heathrow decisions were announced.

Helicopters: Royal Family

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to discourage the use of helicopters for short journeys by members of the Royal Family.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Short single journeys by helicopter are discouraged by the Royal Household and do not normally take place at a distance of 50 miles or less. However, use of the helicopter on official visits where several short journeys may take place, permits the maximum number of engagements to take place in a day. This makes best use of the Principal's time and minimises the disruption to the public when car journeys and a police escort may be used as an alternative.

High Speed Trains

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the availability of funding for a high-speed rail line.

Paul Clark: High Speed Two has been formed to help develop the case for high-speed services between London and Scotland, and will report by the end of the year. The report will include advice to the Government on financing and construction proposals.

High Speed Trains

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost per mile of construction of a new high-speed rail line.

Paul Clark: Precise costs vary depending on a number of factors including the route, whether construction is on a disused railway alignment or built on green fields and the need for major works such as tunnelling. Costs of operation and maintenance must also be considered. Average costs do not therefore tell the whole story, but recent work for the Department for Transport suggested a new double track high-speed rail line might cost 12 to 16 million per route-kilometre.

High Speed Trains

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the letter which he placed in the Library from the Permanent Secretary of his Department to a director of High Speed Two Limited of 14 January 2009, whether High Speed Two Limited provides monthly written reports to his Department.

Paul Clark: High Speed Two provides regular reports to the Department for Transport, and Sir David Rowlands meets regularly with the Minister of State, to report the progress being made.
	High Speed Two also publishes a regular newsletter to update and engage with stakeholders.

High Speed Trains

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of dwellings that would need to be demolished to permit the High Speed Two project to be implemented; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to consult  (a) Buckinghamshire County Council,  (b) Aylesbury Vale District Council,  (c) Wycombe District Council,  (d) Chiltern District Council and  (e) South Banks District Council on the High Speed Two proposal; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he plans to consult  (a) the Chilterns Conservation Board and  (b) the National Trust on the High Speed Two proposal; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect on land owned by the National Trust of the High Speed Two proposal; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: High Speed Two has been formed to develop the case for high-speed services between London and Scotland. As a first stage, High Speed Two will report by the end of the year with a proposed route from London to the West Midlands, setting out any necessary options with appropriate environmental, social and economic assessments. This will form a sound basis for a public consultation on the proposal, including options for a London to west midlands route during the course of 2010, should the Government decide to proceed.
	High Speed Two is engaging with stakeholders during the course of this work, and I would encourage any interested parties to contact Sir David Rowlands and his team directly.

High Speed Trains: South East

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to require the management of High Speed Two Ltd to develop the proposal in ways which maintain the standard of passenger rail service provided by Chiltern Railways to residents in Buckinghamshire; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: High Speed Two will be seeking to maximise benefits that can be delivered by both the new line and the existing network. This will include consideration of routing and service options for the new line, whether intermediate stations on the new line would be beneficial, and how capacity on the existing network released by a new line to the west midlands may best be used for local, regional and freight services.

Highways Agency

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures govern responses by the Highways Agency to letters and emails from members of the public; what proportion of such letters and emails were responded to within the last 12 months; how long it took to make each such response; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: holding answer 2 April 2009
	The Highways Agency has a target to respond to at least 90 per cent. of customer correspondence within 15 working days. During the past 12 months, the Highways Agency received 11,791 items of correspondence and responded to 11,352 (96.3 per cent.) within 15 working days.
	Due to the large quantity of correspondence from members of the public, it is not possible to provide the details of how long it took to make each response in the timescales given.

Light Dues: Northern Ireland

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he expects the Republic of Ireland to meet the cost of its light dues.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK and Irish Governments are engaged in constructive dialogue to agree long-term funding arrangements for the provision of aids to navigation in the Republic of Ireland.
	To this end, I am meeting the Irish Transport Minister in Dublin in the near future. The time scale for reaching and implementing a lasting agreement will be among the matters we expect to discuss.

Lorries: Driver Information Systems

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with manufacturers of vehicle satellite navigation equipment on identification of routes inappropriate for heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Department for Transport officials have been reviewing a number of issues related to route guidance systems. In March 2009 officials attended a meeting involving local authorities, digital map providers and freight haulage interests on how best to address the lorry routeing issue.

M25: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's timetable is for work to widen stretches of the M25.

Paul Clark: The widening of the M25 between Junctions 16 to 23, and Junctions 27 to 30, is included in the scope of the M25 Design, Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) Contract, currently in the final stages of procurement. Subject to satisfactory completion of statutory processes and completion of the ongoing competition to secure finance for the project, the widening works are planned to take place as follows:
	
		
			   Start  Complete 
			 Junctions 16 to 23 27 April 2009 July 2012 
			 Junctions 27 to 30 20 July 2009 July 2012 
		
	
	Two further sections of the M25 are being considered by the Highways Agency as part of the Managed Motorways programme, where hard shoulder running is envisaged rather than widening.
	The earliest dates for construction of these two sections are:
	
		
			   Start  Complete 
			 Junctions 5 to 7 late 2012 late 2013 
			 Junctions 23 to 27 late 2012 late 2013

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of passenger cars with a valid vehicle excise duty disc at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2007 there were 28,227,576 cars with a valid vehicle excise licence.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the cost involved in the manufacturing of cars with daytime running lights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2006 the Department for Transport commissioned TRL to review the studies on daytime running lights that were carried out on behalf of the European Commission. The cost to install dedicated daytime running lamps was estimated to be 25 euros per car.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many V5 vehicle registration forms have been  (a) misplaced by and  (b) stolen from (i) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (ii) its printers and (iii) its distribution network in the last 12 months..

Jim Fitzpatrick: No such certificates have been misplaced or stolen in the last 12 months.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 806W, on motor vehicles: testing, what checkpoint sites are used by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As previously mentioned in my answer of 13 March 2009, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) uses over 1,000 checkpoint sites. Some of these sites are temporary and some are permanent. A list of the permanent sites has been placed in the Libraries of the House. VOSA wishes to withhold the list of temporary sites as this information would affect the level of enforcement of non-compliant operators if it became available.

Navigation

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to the development of navigational aids and infrastructure in the maritime sector in the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The costs incurred by the General Lighthouse Authorities in developing aids to navigation are generally recovered in full from users of such aids through the system of light dues.
	The Department for Transport has contributed 187,500 in each of the last three years towards the costs of the General Lighthouse Authorities' eLoran project, in recognition of its potential contribution to an international agreement. eLoran is a land-based, high-powered precise terrestrial radio navigation system for all mariners that is fully independent of global navigation satellite systems such as GPS and delivers complementary levels of performance.
	The funding has enabled further research into the potential for e-navigation, which if successful, would allow a significant reduction in the provision and associated costs of traditional aids to navigation.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 300W, on parking: fees and charges, what comments were received from other Departments on the proposals for regulations for workplace policy levy schemes.

Paul Clark: The proposals for regulations were discussed in the usual way by Cabinet. Information relating to Cabinet Committees, including Cabinet Committee papers, are generally not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Railways

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rules and regulations would apply to a Translohr guided rail system established in England.

Paul Clark: holding answer 16 March 2009
	It is not possible to provide definitive guidance on the rules and regulations applicable to the Translohr guided rail system. However, if such a system was allowed to run on a highway in England it could be considered as vehicular traffic and, therefore, in such a case, all relevant rules and regulations for road vehicles would apply accordingly.

Railways

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to bring forward capital expenditure on rail infrastructure projects.

Paul Clark: Capital expenditure on rail infrastructure projects is primarily the responsibility of Network Rail which is funded in accordance with the Office of Rail Regulation's determination of its income requirement. This income requirement is derived from the outputs set out in the High Level Output Specification set out by the Government in their White PaperDelivering a Sustainable Railway.
	We are also bringing forward around 300 million for an additional 202 train carriages to relieve overcrowding, pursuant to the previously announced High Level Output Specification. The trains are due to enter service by 2012 subject to negotiations with train operators.

Railways

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of railway journeys were undertaken in first class in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. However, this information should be available from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). My hon. Friend should contact ATOC at the following address for a response to his question.
	Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)
	3rd Floor
	40 Bernard Street
	London
	WC1N 1BY

Railways

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of railway carriages were built and furbished as  (a) first class and  (b) second class in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. It may be available from the rolling stock leasing companies, individual train operators or the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Railways: Disabled

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of the trains of each train operator which were in operation in each year since 1997 were accessible to people in wheelchairs; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The majority of trains have been accessible to wheelchair users for many years, although the proportion that meet modern accessibility standards has increased dramatically since the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (RVAR) (SI 1998/2456) were introduced in 1998. The RVAR considerably improve the accessibility of rail vehicles to disabled people by setting minimum technical standards designed to make trains more accessible to disabled people, including wheelchair users.
	Almost 4,800 train carriages have been built in compliance with RVAR, while almost all older vehicles have featured improved accessibility, including for wheelchair users, when they have undergone refurbishment. A list of all trains that were built in compliance with RVAR and their current operator is available on the Department for Transport's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/rail/vehicles/pubs/rva/accessibilityregulations.xls)
	However, as rolling stock is frequently moved between different train operating companies, the Department does not keep a historical record of where these rail vehicles have previously been in service.
	The UK's lead in this area resulted last year in the introduction of new pan-European accessibility standards (the Technical Specification of Interoperability for Persons with Reduced MobilityPRM TSI) which are based on RVAR. In future, all heavy rail trains will be subject to the PRM TSI, while tram, underground and metro systems will remain subject to RVAR.
	In 2008, the Department set an end date of 1 January 2020, by which time all trains must be accessible. This is some 15 years earlier than would occur naturally through normal fleet replacement and we are already working closely with the rail industry to deliver this commitment.

Railways: Fares

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average change in the cost of  (a) first class and  (b) second class unregulated rail fares was in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: This information is contained in the Fares Index in National Rail Trendsavailable from the ORR website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/rolling-c5-fares.pdf

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 990W, on railways: franchises, what timetable has been set for completion of the research.

Paul Clark: As described in the previous answer of 17 March 2009, the current research project into rail passenger demand forecasting is due to conclude by the end of 2009. Work is currently on schedule.

Railways: Franchises

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which rail franchises and concessions were fully or partly operated by non-UK companies in each of the last five years; and how much public subsidy each such franchise received in each of those years.

Paul Clark: All franchises let by the Department for Transport have been awarded to companies registered in the United Kingdom. Details of the ultimate shareholders should be available in the relevant filed accounts at Companies House.
	Subsidy paid to all franchises is published annually by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends which is available in the Library of the House and online at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk

Railways: Freight

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 835W, on railways: freight, what his Department's policy is on where on a stretch of motorway rail freight interchanges should be sited.

Paul Clark: The Strategic Rail Authority document 'Strategic Rail Interchange Policy' of 2004, which can be found at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/railfreight/railfreightinterchange.pdf
	is still the basis for the Department's policy on rail freight interchanges. It does not specify locations on the motorway network where rail freight interchanges should be sited, but does state that such interchanges should have high quality links to the motorway and trunk road network.

Railways: Freight

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 835W, on railways: freight, what the position of  (a) the Highways Agency and  (b) Kent Highways was on the proposed Kent International Gateway development; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The position of the Highways Agency is that further clarifications are required from the developer about the impact of the proposed development. At present the Highways Agency's view is that the proposal might be detrimental to safety and journey time reliability at Junction 8 of the M20 and the developer might be able to offer mitigation measures to offset this issue. The position of Kent Highways is a matter for Kent county council.

Roads

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the service contract with each of the four appointed road user service providers.

Paul Clark: These have been placed in the Libraries of the House, with the exception of the two out of 10 supporting schedules to each contract which are commercially sensitive.

Roads: Accidents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse funds on average was of each road fatality in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport publishes the average value of preventing a fatality on roads as part of the new approach to appraisal guidance. This is used by promoters to develop business cases. The overall value includes some estimates of costs that would be avoided by preventing road fatalities, some of which would otherwise fall on public funds.
	Savings made in the form of police costs from preventing a fatal accident are estimated as 1,920 (2007 prices) on average. It is important to note that this cost saving is attributable to a fatal accident and not to each single fatality. A single accident can involve more than one fatality and include other individuals with injuries varying in severity. Medical and ambulance costs, however, relate to each personal fatality and are estimated at 6,310 (2007 prices).
	Each year the Department for Transport publishes its valuation of preventing fatalities (VPF) on transport using annual road accident data for appraisal purposes. In addition to the costs mentioned above components of the VPF that are directly attributable to each fatality on average include valuations of lost human output (624,190 in 2007 prices) and human costs such as grievance and suffering (1,232,800 in 2007 prices).

Roads: EC Action

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 113-4WS, on the EU Transport Council, (1) what recent progress has been made in respect of the EU's proposed directive on cross-border enforcement in the field of road safety; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the written ministerial statement of 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 18WS, on the EU Transport Council, what progress has been made on overcoming the practical and legal difficulties of cross-border enforcement for non-resident drivers escaping financial penalties for road safety infringements; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The proposed EU directive on cross- border enforcement is not on the Transport Council agenda under the current presidency and I am not aware of any further work having been done on the proposed directive following the December Transport Council.

Roads: Yorkshire and Humberside

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with the East Riding of Yorkshire council on road safety improvements on the A1079.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has had no recent discussions with East Riding of Yorkshire council regarding road safety improvements on the A1079.

Rolling Stock: Manpower

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Derby North of 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1847W, on rolling stock, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of new rolling stock on numbers of jobs servicing and maintaining the rolling stock to be replaced.

Paul Clark: Agility Trains has suggested that around 1,400 jobs in train maintenance will be safeguarded by their Super Express proposal. Across the network, the demand for train maintenance personnel will increase as the Department for Transport invests in the new Super Express fleet, the HLOS requirements, the new Thameslink and the new Crossrail fleets.

Rolling Stock: South East

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional rolling stock is planned for the Sevenoaks to London railway line.

Paul Clark: Southeastern will be a recipient of some of the new rolling stock that is being procured for the Thameslink programme. Sevenoaks to London will be one of the lines on which this stock is likely to be deployed.

Tankers: Safety

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what failsafe safety measures are in place in tankers transporting liquefied gas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Road tank vehicles transporting liquefied gas brought into service in the UK must meet the vehicle and service equipment construction requirements of the European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road. These requirements include at least three mutually independent closures mounted in series, and spring-loaded safety valves.
	Tank vehicles and shells must be certified as meeting the requirements prior to entering into service for the first time. Tank vehicles must pass an annual inspection thereafter to ensure they remain fit for service and tank shells are subject to periodic inspection requirements.

Tankers: Safety

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects all UK-registered tankers to have double hulls.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no requirement within UK or international law for all tankers to be equipped with double hulls.
	The requirements for double-hulling of such ships are based upon the type of cargo carried and as such there is no expectation that at a specific date the entire fleet of UK registered tankers will be so equipped.

Transport: Royal Family

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who decides the mode of transport appropriate for official journeys by a member of the royal family.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Royal Travel Office in conjunction with the Royal Household decides the mode of transport appropriate for a journey by a member of the royal family. The decision on the mode takes account of safety, security, value for money, the best use of principals' time, the requirements of the visit, the avoidance of disruption to the public, environmental considerations and appropriateness for the occasion.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria the Highways Agency uses in appraising proposals for the construction of wind farms adjacent to or near highways.

Paul Clark: The current working criteria used by the Highways Agency for appraising proposals for the construction of wind farms is available on the Highways Agency website at:
	www.highways.gov.uk/business/238.aspx

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bank Services: Fees and Charges

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has made in investigating unfair bank charges; and when he expects the OFT to report.

Gareth Thomas: The OFT has written to banks with its provisional view on the fairness of unarranged overdraft and returned item fees, setting out its concern that they may be unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999. The OFT announced on 3 April 2009 that it is to streamline its investigation into unarranged overdraft charges by focusing on the terms of three banks in particular in order to progress the case in the shortest and most efficient way possible. The OFT expects to reach final conclusions on fairness later this year.

China

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether officials from his Department have held discussions with colleagues in the Scotland Office on the Secretary of State for Scotland's forthcoming visit to China as part of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry's trade delegation; and whether officials from his Department will accompany the Secretary of State for Scotland on the visit.

Gareth Thomas: Officials from this Department have been in contact with colleagues in the Scotland Office regarding the Secretary of State for Scotland's visit to China.
	Officials from this Department did not accompany the Secretary of State for Scotland on his visit. However, officials at our missions in China supported both the trade mission and the visit.

Departmental Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what properties his  (a) Department and  (b) Department's (i) executive agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies have sold in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been sold for housing development.

Patrick McFadden: This Department has not sold any land from its HQ estate over the last five years.
	I have approached the chief executives of Companies House and the Insolvency Service and they will respond to you directly.
	Information for those non-departmental public bodies overseen by BERR who have sold properties in each of the last five years is as follows:
	 UK Atomic Energy Authority
	The Winfrith Technology Centre, Dorset was sold to the Urban Regeneration Agency (doing business as English Partnerships) on 31 March 2004. Associated with the sale of the Winfrith Technology Centre, six plots of adjoining agricultural land were sold in financial year 2006-07 in accordance with the Crichel Down rules. Two areas of agricultural land to the west of the Winfrith site were sold in financial year 2005-06. The final plot of this agricultural land was sold in financial year 2006-07. None of these were sold for housing development.
	In summer 2006 two plots of land were sold in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire associated with the former water treatment works at Harwell: an angling lake; and a plot of land with planning permission for two residential dwellings.
	Information for the regional development agencies (statistical information only due to volume involved) is as follows:
	
		
			  Advantage West Midlands 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 24 1 
			 2006-07 6 0 
			 2005-06 5 2 
			 2004-05 12 5 
			 2003-04 3 0 
		
	
	
		
			  East of England Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 5 0 
			 2006-07 1 0 
			 2005-06 3 0 
			 2004-05 3 0 
			 2003-04 4 0 
		
	
	
		
			  East Midlands Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 2 0 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2005-06 38 0 
			 2004-05 4 0 
			 2003-04 5 0 
		
	
	
		
			  London Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 4 0 
			 2006-07 8 1 
			 2005-06 3 2 
			 2004-05 3 2 
			 2003-04 2 1 
		
	
	
		
			  North West Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 2 0 
			 2006-07 54 0 
			 2005-06 27 0 
			 2004-05 13 0 
			 2003-04 48 0 
		
	
	
		
			  One North East 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  South East England Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  South West England Development Agency 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 18 0 
			 2006-07 17 1 
			 2005-06 25 2 
			 2004-05 19 1 
			 2003-04 18 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Yorkshire Forward 
			  Number 
			   Properties sold  Properties sold for housing development 
			 2007-08 1 0 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2005-06 2 0 
			 2004-05 2 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
		
	
	The information given for the RDA's are actual buildings mainly for regeneration purposes. It does not include land or larger regeneration sites. The RDAs are not involved in direct housing provision.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 13 April 2009:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 23 March 2009, UIN 266497, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House has not sold any properties in the last five years.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 13 April 2009:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question, what properties  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental public bodies it oversees have sold in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been sold for housing development The Insolvency Service leases its properties and therefore have not been and will not be in a position to sell any.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 895W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon management programme.

Patrick McFadden: BERR has had two recent reviews carried out by the Carbon Trust, on its headquarters estate. The second, run in April to May 2008, was a follow-on to previous work done under the energy efficiency accreditation scheme (EEAS) which closed in March 2008. As a result of the second review, BERR was given certification under the new Carbon Trust Standard; this was awarded to the Department on 2 July 2008. On the basis that these reviews had been done, the Department did not feel it necessary to take up the Carbon Trust management programme.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) Blackberrys and (ii) mobile phones for (A) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is as follows:
	(i) The Department has deployed Blackberry services to staff since 2006 through the Office of Government Commerce's mobile telecommunication services contract. From the records available the cost of purchasing the Blackberry hardware each year since 2006 has been:
	
		
			   
			   Ministers  Special advisers  Other staff 
			 2006   16,800 
			 2007 1,120 1,120 68,880 
			 2008 280 280 8,400 
			 2009 280  27,695 
		
	
	The 2009 figure includes the costs of recent hardware upgrades.
	The operating costs for BERR's Blackberry service is only held from 2008 and includes costs for Ministers and special advisors:
	
		
			   Other staff () 
			 2006 n/a 
			 2007 n/a 
			 2008 132,128 
			 2009 154,902 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	 (b) The Department uses the Office of Government Commerce's mobile telecommunication services contract to provide official mobile telephones to staff. No cost information is available on the provision of mobile hardware. No detailed information is available on the cost of the services that have been deployed to Ministers and their special advisors. During this period all Ministers and special advisors have had access to mobile telephones from a central pool of handsets operated by the ministerial support office. The only information available is the total cost of the mobile telephones services operated by the ministerial support office and for those services provided to other BERR staff for each year since 2008.
	
		
			   
			   Mobile telephone costs for ministerial support office  Total cost of staff mobiles provided 
			 2008 23,541 218,317 
			 2009 24,541 192,868

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent progress his Department has made towards its target for the energy efficiency per square metre of its estate; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: BERR are continuing to work towards achieving the energy efficiency targets expressed in the Sustainable Operation of the Government Estate (SOGE) framework. Our main strategy has been to gain efficiencies through a reduction in the physical size of its estate and the number of buildings occupied. As a result the whole BERR estate has been reduced by 58 per cent. and its overall carbon footprint by 26 per cent. since the baseline year of 1999-2000.
	As we are working the remaining buildings harder, through better space optimisation, energy use has risen slightly. We are addressing this through improved utilisation of building management systems; installing new environmental and lighting controls during 2008-09, together with introduction in January 2009 of new automated monitoring and targeting systems, which will give significant savings over the next few years.
	Furthermore, in mid-February 2009, BERR installed two sets of photovoltaic arrays on the roof of its 1 Victoria Street HQ building and carried out a thermal imaging study. We are currently evaluating the latter study to see if there are additional means of improving the performance of the HQ building.
	BERR's HQ estate recently received the Carbon Trust Standard certification.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel was used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies since the establishment of his Department; and how much was used by each of the regional development agencies in each of the last 10 years.

Patrick McFadden: Since the inception of BERR in June 2007, the Department has used the following amounts of electricity and gas on its HQ estate up to the end of February 2009.
	
		
			   kWh 
			 Electricity 19,706,096 
			 Gas 9,264,323 
		
	
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
	The following tables contain details of the amounts spent by each regional development agency on electricity, gas and other fuels during the past 10 years. Where there is a blank entry (), figures are unavailable and would incur disproportionate cost to produce. The RDAs do not record units used.
	
		
			  Advantage West Midlands 
			  000 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 67 12 0 
			 2006-07 51 6 0 
			 2005-06 72 9 0 
			 2004-05 50 7 0 
			 2003-04 42 7 0 
			 2002-03 34 4 0 
			 2001-02 29 3 0 
			 2000-01
			 1999-2000
			 1998-99
			 Total 345 48 0 
		
	
	
		
			  East of England Development Agency 
			  000 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 44 7 0 
			 2006-07 76 9 0 
			 2005-06 46 2 0 
			 2004-05 24 3 0 
			 2003-04 28 2 0 
			 2002-03 18 2 0 
			 2001-02 13 2 0 
			 2000-01 8 1 0 
			 1999-2000
			 1998-99
			 Total 257 28 0 
		
	
	
		
			  East  Midlands  Development Agency 
			  000 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 53 24 0 
			 2006-07 50 25 0 
			 2005-06 61 16 0 
			 2004-05 43 13 0 
			 2003-04 23 5 0 
			 2002-03 32 7 0 
			 2001-02
			 2000-01
			 1999-2000
			 1998-99
			 Total 261 90 0 
		
	
	
		
			  London Development Agency 
			   Total fuel cost (000) 
			 2007-08 128 
			 2006-07 145 
			 2005-06 115 
			 2004-05  
			 2003-04  
			 2002-03  
			 2001-02  
			 2000-01  
			 1999-2000 (1) 
			 1998-99 (1) 
			 Total 388 
			 (1) LDA not established. 
		
	
	The LDA does not record fuel expenditure in the manner requested. As a result, it would be unable to break down its energy spend into separate components without incurring disproportionate cost. Figures for 2001-02 to 2004-05 are not available as during this period fuel bills were included within a general service charge.
	
		
			  North West  Development Agency 
			  000 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 53 49 0 
			 2006-07 112 47 0 
			 2005-06 68 40 0 
			 2004-05 70 20 0 
			 2003-04 49 39 0 
			 2002-03 46 1 0 
			 2001-02 35 4 0 
			 2000-01 9   
			 1999-2000
			 1998-99
			 Total 442 200 0 
		
	
	
		
			  One North East 
			   Total fuel cost (000) 
			 2007-08 160 
			 2006-07 169 
			 2005-06 165 
			 2004-05 106 
			 2003-04 98 
			 2002-03 44 
			 2001-02 46 
			 2000-01 45 
			 1999-2000 57 
			 1998-99  
			 Total 890 
		
	
	One North East does not record fuel expenditure in the manner requested. As a result, it would be unable to break down its energy spend into separate components without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  South East England Development Agency 
			  000 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 105 29 0 
			 2006-07 87 12 0 
			 2005-06 79 11 0 
			 2004-05 48 5 0 
			 2003-04 45 7 0 
			 2002-03 44 7 0 
			 2001-02 39 6 0 
			 2000-01 35 6 0 
			 1999-2000 32 5 0 
			 1998-99
			 Total 514 88 0 
		
	
	
		
			  South West England Regional Development Agency 
			   Total fuel cost (000) 
			 2007-08 106 
			 2006-07 93 
			 2005-06 87 
			 2004-05 29 
			 2003-04 14 
			 2002-03 16 
			 2001-02  
			 2000-01  
			 1999-2000  
			 1998-99  
			 Total 345 
		
	
	SWRDA does not record fuel expenditure in the manner requested. As a result, it would be unable to break down its energy spend into separate components without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Yorkshire Forward 
			   Electricity  Gas  Other fuel 
			 2007-08 70 14 0 
			 2006-07 71 7 0 
			 2005-06 60 10 0 
			 2004-05 63 9 0 
			 2003-04 48 9 0 
			 2002-03 56 9 0 
			 2001-02 51 9 0 
			 2000-01
			 Total 419 67 0 
		
	
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 13 April 2009:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 25 March 2009, UIN 267342, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Since the inception of BERR in 2007, Companies House has used the following amounts of fuel:
	
		
			  kWh 
			  Financial year  Electricity  Gas 
			 2007-08 5,315,618 1,708,260 
		
	
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 13 April 2009:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service how much (a) electricity, (b) gas and (c) other fuel was used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies since the inception of his Department; and how much was used by each of the regional development agencies in each of the last 10 years.
	The Insolvency Service has consumed the following energy to date since the formation of BERR in June 2007:
	
		
			  kWh 
			 Electricity 2,109,082 
			 Gas 934,211 
			 Other Fuel 0

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The latest estimate of capital expenditure for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is as follows:
	
		
			  Capital expenditure in  million  2008-09 forecast outturn  2009-10 budgets allocated  2010-11 CSR07 settlement figures 
			 Capital expenditure 143.800 131.054 166.325 
			 Less capital income from launch investment (129.000) (120.000) (184.500) 
			 Net capital expenditure 15.800 11.0540 (18.175)(1) 
			 (1) Planned receipts are in excess of expenditure in 2010-11. 
		
	
	The Department's settlement from the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR07) included use of end year flexibility (EYF) stocks and other flexibilities, subject to agreement by HM Treasury. The planned expenditure for 2009-10 includes use of 43 million, the balance of a loan made to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), which is due to be repaid in 2009-10. There remains considerable volatility in the planned income received from launch investments in the aerospace sector, which will impact on BERR's future capital expenditure plans, particularly in 2010-11.
	Plans for 2011-12 have not yet been formulated, pending the outcome of the next spending review.

Departmental Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 12 January,  Official Report, columns 462-63W, on redundancy, how many staff left his Department under staff exit schemes with a severance package worth  (a) between 100,000 and 125,000,  (b) between 125,001 and 150,000,  (c) between 150,001 and 200,000,  (d) between 200,001 and 250,000,  (e) between 250,001 and 500,000,  (f) between 500,001 and 1,000,000 and  (g) over 1,000,000 in each year since 2005-06.

Patrick McFadden: The following table sets out details of staff who left the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform under staff exit schemes with a severance package.
	
		
			  Severance package  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 100,000-125,000 9 12 4 25 
			 125,000-150,000 2 2 3 7 
			 150,000-200,000 3 10 4 17 
			 200,000-250,000 1 6 3 10 
			 250,000-500,000 0 5 3 8 
			 500,000 plus 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15 35 17 67 
		
	
	For staff leaving on compulsory or flexible early severance terms, or in receipt of a statutory redundancy payment, the size of the package is simply the lump sum compensation payment made.
	For staff leaving on compulsory, flexible or approved early retirement terms, the size of the package includes any lump sum compensation payment made on departure (compulsory terms only) and also the capitalised cost of paying a pension or annual compensation payment (ACP) before pension age, the cost of any pension enhancement (compulsory and flexible terms only) and the cost of bringing forward the payment of the pension lump sum (for those in classic). These figures are therefore the initial provision for the early departure liabilities caused by the staff departures. They will include any cash payments made during the period.

Departmental Responsibilities

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 523W, on the Corporate Governance Unit, when his Department's Corporate Law and Governance Directorate was established; what the remit of the Directorate is; what the cost to the public purse has been of the Directorate in each year of its operation; what the job title is of each member of staff of the Directorate; and which Ministers other than the Secretary of State have had responsibility for the Directorate since its establishment.

Patrick McFadden: BERR and its predecessor Departments have been responsible for company law issues since the 19th century. The name Corporate Law and Governance Directorate (CLG) was adopted in 2005 when responsibility for company investigations transferred to the Insolvency Service. Highlights of CLG work appear on the Department's annual report (Sections 2.91-2.94)
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file47097.pdf
	My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State currently has responsibility for company law issues in succession to my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs. The directorate also houses BERR's Better Regulation Unit, which reports to the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting in succession to the Minister for Competitiveness and Small Business. In 2007-08 the running costs of the directorate were 2,198,000.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The total number of staff recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December over the past five years is 12.
	It is not possible to give a breakdown for each individual year in order to avoid possibly revealing the identity of the individual staff members.

Departmental Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of measuring compliance with its targets under its public service agreements in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: BERR leads delivery of three CSR 07 public service agreements, (PSA 1Raise the productivity of the UK economy; PSA 6Deliver the conditions for business success in the UK; PSA 7Improve the economic performance of all English regions and reduce the gap in economic growth rates between regions), and two PSAs outstanding from SR 04, (PSA 6Enterprise; and PSA 10Maximising potential in the workplace.)
	Compliance with BERR's PSAs is measured as progress against a number of indicators. Costs to BERR of measuring progress against these PSAs are as listed. In most cases progress is measured against externally produced data, provided at no cost to BERR.
	Progress against the CSR 07 PSA 1 is measured wholly against externally produced data, provided at no cost to BERR.
	Costs to BERR of producing data for measuring progress against the CSR 07 PSA 6 are estimated at 66,000 in the last 12 months.
	Costs to BERR of processing data for measuring progress against the CSR 07 PSA 7 are estimated at 43 in the last 12 months.
	Costs to BERR of producing data for measuring progress against the SR 04 PSA 6 are estimated at 144,550 (excluding VAT) in the last 12 months.
	Costs to BERR of producing data for measuring progress against the SR 04 PSA 10 are estimated at 1,000 in the last 12 months.
	Total costs to BERR of producing data for measuring progress against these PSAs are estimated at 211,593 in the last 12 months.

EU Internal Trade

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the steps necessary to implement the Mutual Recognition Regulation (EC) 764/2008; and what timetable he has set for taking such steps.

Gareth Thomas: The Mutual Recognition Regulation places two main obligations on EU member statesto ensure that specified fair and transparent procedures are followed when enforcing rules which exclude from their market products lawfully marketed elsewhere in the EU, and to establish a contact point to provide information on these rules.
	An exercise to identify affected UK rules has been completed. Officials have been working with other Departments and enforcement authorities responsible for these rules in order to ensure that their procedures are in line with the requirements of the regulation.
	The product contact point for the regulation is being established within the Businesslink.gov.uk website, including new guidance pages within the international trade area of the site. Guidance pages on individual regulations are being amended or expanded as necessary to provide the additional information specified in the regulation.
	The regulation comes into effect on 13 May 2009. New enforcement procedures will take effect from this date, and the new section on Businesslink.gov.uk is expected to go live by this date.

EU Internal Trade

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many cases the Action Single Market/UK SOLVIT centre had handled on the latest date for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The latest figures available for the number of cases handled on SOLVIT is for the period January to December 2008. During that period the Action Single Market/UK SOLVIT centre dealt with 247 cases.

EU Internal Trade

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department has designated a product contact point in respect of the Mutual Recognition Regulation (EC) 764/2008.

Gareth Thomas: The product contact point for the Mutual Recognition Regulation will be located within the Businesslink.gov.uk website. Businesslink.gov.uk already provides the majority of the information on technical rules required by the regulation, so locating the contact point here minimises the cost and takes advantage of the site's high brand recognition and traffic.

India: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to increase trade between the UK and India; how much his Department and its predecessor spent on the promotion of trade between the UK and India in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the principal Government organisation for the promotion of trade and investment with India. In 2007 UKTI increased its staff in India by 18 per cent. to better support British business and inward investment. In 2007-08 and 2008-09 UKTI allocated grant funding to the newly created UK India Business Council (UKIBC)a business-led organisation specifically tasked with supporting Government in the promotion of bilateral trade, business and investment with the two countries. We have also refreshed the UK-India Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO) dialogue, which my noble Friend the Secretary of State co-chaired with Minister Nath this January as part of a wider trade and investment visit to India.
	We continue actively to develop trade and investment links, through the ongoing work of our team in India and the UK, and have commissioned research by the UKIBC into the opportunities represented by India's second tier citiesthe results of which will be released shortly. We are also recruiting a supply chain specialist and have put in place a new initiative, Fiscal Compass, which will help UK companies capitalise on overseas business opportunities arising from fiscal stimulus spending, including in India. My noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment is planning to visit India later this year, to further promote trade and investment.
	
		
			  UKTI annual programme expenditure  ()( 1)  on the promotion/support of trade with India over the last 5 years was: 
			
			 2008-09 (2)2,033,261 
			 2007-08 1,964,507 
			 2006-07 1,842,356 
			 2005-06 1,213,472 
			 2004-05 872,234 
			 (1) Figures may slightly under-report the total programme expenditure on India as they do not take account of UKTI multi-market initiatives where the India costs are not specifically identified. (2) Estimated outturn. 
		
	
	
		
			  Staff and establishment costs ,( 1)( , 2)  for the UKTI team in India over the last 2 years were: 
			
			 2007-08 7,018,563.28 
			 2006-07 5,028.766.97 
			 (1) 2008-09 figures are not yet available. (2) Staff and establishment cost for UKTI in the years prior to 2006-07 were included in the general FCO compliment in India and are therefore not specifically identifiable.

India: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department at each grade work on the promotion of trade between the UK and India; and what the equivalent numbers were for the Department of Trade and Industry in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987 and  (c) each year between 1998 and 2007.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the principal body concerned with promoting trade and investment with India. The network in India consists of officials (full-time equivalent) at the following grades:
	
		
			   AA  AO  EO  HEO  SEO  Grade 7  Grade 6  SCS  Total 
			 Present 1.9 9.3 32.1 34.95 0.7 3.7 1.7 1.95 86.3 
			 2007 6.35 34.99 8 23.85 1.7 1.95 1.8 1.78 80.42 
			 2006 3.1 35.35 7.8 20.63 2.65 2.05 0.8 1.6 73.98 
			 2005 4.1 37.48 7.35 20.26 2.7 1.95 0.55 1.95 76.34 
		
	
	Historical staffing levels for the period 1998 to 2004 are not available in a format that provides a meaningful comparison with the subsequent data.
	The South Asia Team in International Group, UKTI consists of seven officials and is predominantly focused on India but it also has responsibility for trade and investment issues in other South Asian markets.
	Similarly other officials in UKTI and BERR contribute towards the promotion of trade between the UK and India but it is not possible to quantify exact staffing levels as this is only part of their role.

India: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was allocated by his Department to the UK-India Business Council in each of the last two years; for what purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In each of the two financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 we paid to the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC) a grant of 1,000,000.00.
	The purpose of the grant is to finance the UKIBC's advice and assistance to UK businesses doing or seeking to do business in India. This complements the services offered by UKTI in the UK.

India: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assistance his Department provides to Indian businesses wishing to  (a) invest in the UK and  (b) take part in joint ventures with UK companies; how much was made available for these purposes in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UKTI, within BERR, provides services to companies not only from India, but across the globe. This includes: promoting the attractiveness of the UK to investors; a free consultancy service to foreign owned companies wishing to locate in the UK; direct access to Government Departments (and HMG policy) and introductions to private sector advisors wherever possible. Relationships between UKTI staff in London and overseas and with the UK regions provide a seamless service to clients.
	UKTI, working with the regional development agencies and the devolved Administrations, maintains links with strategic companies once they have invested in the UK via the Investor Development programme. UKTI systematically gathers feedback on issues of concern to established inward investors, bringing these to the attention of relevant Government Departments and Ministers as appropriate.
	UKTI does not offer specific services around joint ventures or mergers and acquisitions but provides services to assist with the trade and expansion efforts of companies that establish in the UK. UKTI does not provide finance to companies locating in the UK, but does provide strategic and operational advice via the UKTI/RDA/private sector networks.

Israel: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps  (a) he has taken since September 2008 and  (b) plans to take during the next 12 months to increase trade between the UK and Israel; how much his Department (i) has spent since September 2008 and (ii) plans to spend during the next 12 months on the promotion of trade between the UK and Israel; what recent representations he has received on increasing trade between the UK and Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) provides a range of support services to British companies wishing to trade with or invest in Israel, through commercial teams based in both the UK and the British embassy in Tel Aviv.
	UKTI support focuses, in particular, on business opportunities in high technology sectors, including biotechnology, health care, aerospace, information and communication technology, the environmental industries and financial and legal services. Information on commercial events in Israel is posted on the UKTI website (www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk) along with details of specific business opportunities in the market.
	UKTI supports the work of the Israel British Business Council (IBBC) including bi-annual meetings in Tel Aviv and London, and also supports a broad range of activities aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment, including trade missions to Israel, inward missions by Israeli firms to trade fairs in the UK and promotional events aimed at encouraging Israeli companies to list in London and do business which brings benefits to Britain.
	Information on annual expenditure on trade promotion is unavailable due to the length of time it would take to research these figures.

Israel: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much trade with Israel contributed to the UK's gross domestic product in each of the last two years; what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on increasing trade between the UK and Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The benefits of international trade to gross domestic product (GDP) result from greater economic efficiency due to a combination of increased competition in markets, relative comparative advantages, economies of scale, increased opportunities for learning, and greater incentives for innovation. Due to the difficulty of differentiating between the impact of trade and other factors on growth, it is not possible to quantify precisely the impact of trade with another country on GDP.
	The following table indicates the scale of UK trade in goods and services to Israel for the years 2006-07 as a proportion of GDP:
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			 UK exports to Israel: % of UK GDP at market prices 0.13 0.12 
			 UK imports from Israel: % of UK GDP at market prices 0.10 0.10 
		
	
	Geographical data for trade in 2008 are due to be published at the end of July.
	I have not met my Israeli counterpart but there are regular exchanges between officials.

Israel: Overseas Trade

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was allocated by his Department to the Israel Britain Business Council in each of the last two years; for what purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) allocates 25,000 annually for the activities of the Israel-Britain Business Council (IBBC). This funding supports UKTI's efforts to increase trade and investment with Israel. UKTI officials work closely with both the director of the IBBC and other UK members, to try to ensure the best fit between the activities of the Business Council and UKTI's strategic priorities for business with Israel, including the financial services, health care and high technology sectors.

Kenya: Overseas Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between Kenya and the UK was in 2008.

Gareth Thomas: According to HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics, in 2008 UK exports of goods to Kenya were worth about 194 million and UK imports of goods from Kenya were worth about 316 million.
	The Office for National Statistics is likely to publish its first estimates of 2008 UK trade in services with Kenya on 31 July. Their Balance of Payments Pink Book estimates for 2007 trade in services were UK exports to Kenya worth about 136 million and UK imports from Kenya worth about 182 million.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost was of external legal services engaged by his Department in each year since its establishment.

Patrick McFadden: Since this Department was established in July 2007, it has spent the following on external legal services:
	
		
			   million 
			 2007-08(1) 9.8 
			 2008-09(2) 8.2 
			 (1) From July onwards. (2) Up to 22 January 2009.

Lord Jones of Birmingham

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which countries were visited by Lord Digby-Jones in a Ministerial capacity during his time as a Minister in his Department; and what the cost of each visit was.

Gareth Thomas: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. From 2008 the list included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. This information for the last financial year was published in July 2008. Details for the last financial year will be published as soon as possible. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 29 January 2009, transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government on 9 February 2009, on business diversification grants.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 March 2009
	I responded to the hon. Member on 6 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 12 February regarding a constituent.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 20 March 2009
	This matter falls under the responsibility of the Insolvency Service and I have asked the chief executive to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter of 16 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon, sent on behalf of Mr. C Simpson of Pucklechurch, on Royal Mail.

Patrick McFadden: I responded to the hon. Member on 27 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 24 February 2009 with regard to a constituent; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply.

Patrick McFadden: I responded to my hon. Friend on 31 March. I apologise for the delay caused by the current high volumes of correspondence.

Minimum Wage

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of people in  (a) the UK,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Tamworth constituency whose income rose following the introduction of the national minimum wage.

Patrick McFadden: The national minimum wage was introduced in 1999. The following numbers relate to the number of workers who were earning below the national minimum wage before its introduction.
	Information on earnings is taken from the ONS' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) dataset for 1998. Information for individual parliamentary constituencies is not readily available in the ASHE dataset. However, information is available on a Government office region basis.
	 (a) The number of workers in the UK that stood to benefit directly in the form of higher hourly wages from the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 1999 is estimated to be around 1,000,000.
	 (b) In the West Midlands, 100,000 workers were estimated to benefit directly from higher hourly wages as a result of the introduction to the national minimum wage in April 1999.

Morocco: Overseas Trade

Joan Walley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice his Department issues to UK firms on trade with Morocco which involves exploitation of resources located in Western Sahara.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is able to provide British companies with detailed advice concerning business opportunities in Morocco when requested. They would also be advised of the sensitivities in respect of Western Sahara.

Motor Industry: France

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions the Secretary of State has had with the European Commission on the compatibility with state aid rules of proposals by the French Government to provide loans to the French motor industry.

Gareth Thomas: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has discussed state aid matters with Commissioner Kroes on a number of occasions. On each occasion he has stressed the need to take enforcement action against abuses of the state aid rules by any member state.

Post Offices

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office branches were  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the  (a) membership and  (b) estimated deficit of the Royal Mail pension scheme is accounted for by employees of Post Office Ltd.

Patrick McFadden: Over time there have been a number of changes in the organisation and structure of the Royal Mail group of companies. This makes a clear and accurate split of the past membership and deficit of the pension scheme for Post Office Ltd. difficult to establish.
	Under Government proposals to support the pension scheme (as part of the package of measures currently before Parliament in the Postal Services Bill) members of the scheme who do, or did, work for Post Office Ltd will be treated on an equivalent basis to other Royal Mail employees.
	As at 31 March 2008 out of a total 181,276 permanent Royal Mail employees, 9,163 were engaged on Post Office Ltd. business. This represents approximately 5 per cent. of the current workforce.

Royal Mail: Reorganisation

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred to date on  (a) consultants and  (b) other companies engaged to advise on aspects of the proposed sale of parts of Royal Mail.

Patrick McFadden: The estimated expenditure incurred to the end of March 2009 on external advisers providing legal, financial and accountancy advice in relation to the partnership proposals for Royal Mail is 3.6 million.

Royal Mail: Reorganisation

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred on legal fees associated with the proposed sale of parts of Royal Mail.

Patrick McFadden: It is not appropriate for commercial reasons to reveal the costs incurred by a specific external adviser which would be the case in this instance. The total estimated expenditure incurred to the end of March 2009 on external advisers providing legal, financial and accountancy advice in relation to the partnership proposals for Royal Mail is 3.6 million.

South West Regional Development Agency

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what reductions in  (a) capital and  (b) resource funding for the South West of England Regional Development Agency his Department has made in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The following reductions were made to the indicative allocations given to the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) at the start of the comprehensive spending review 2007 period:
	
		
			   million 
			   SWRDA contribution 
			  Programme( 1)  Resource  Capital 
			 20 million Flood Work and Climate Change (2008-09) 1.5  
			 25 million HomeBuyers Direct Initiative (2009-10)  (2)20.0 
			 275 million HomeBuyers Direct Initiative (2010-11)  (2) 
			 17 million Fuel Efficiency Initiative (2008-09) 1.1  
			 25 million Small Business Finance Scheme (2009-10) (3)3.5  
			 25 million Small Business Finance Scheme (2010-11) (3)  
			 10 million Equity Fund (2009-10)  0.7 
			 (1) Figures represent total for the regions (2) Indicates brace (3) Indicates brace

Zimbabwe: Overseas Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between the UK and Zimbabwe was in the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Zimbabwe are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   million 
			   UK exports of goods to Zimbabwe  UK imports of goods from Zimbabwe 
			 2004 26 48 
			 2005 22 44 
			 2006 20 27 
			 2007 23 20 
			 2008 21 37 
			  Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics 
		
	
	Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2008 were:
	
		
			   million 
			   UK exports of services to Zimbabwe  UK imports of services from Zimbabwe 
			 2006 21 31 
			 2007 32 37

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many second homes there were in each council tax band in each region in England in each year from 1997 to 2008.

John Healey: Details of the number of second homes in each council tax band in each region in England since 2004 are given in the following table. Information for previous years is not available. The data are a snapshot taken in the autumn of each year and are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all billing authorities in England on their annual council tax base (CTB) returns.
	
		
			   Bands  
			   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  Total 
			  1 November 2004  
			 North East 2,661 1,116 1,041 696 372 170 112 21 6,189 
			 North West 5,299 3,097 3,273 2,292 1,527 877 734 89 17,188 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,778 3,047 2,911 1,988 1,204 463 297 48 14,736 
			 East Midlands 4,163 1,908 1,626 1,050 504 322 249 37 9,859 
			 West Midlands 3,070 1,759 1,409 988 727 400 327 72 8,752 
			 East of England 7,664 5,312 5,753 3,762 2,352 1,351 1,104 165 27,463 
			 London 1,135 4,241 9,280 9,365 8,328 6,537 8,851 4,736 52,473 
			 South East 6,797 6,516 9,033 7,146 5,040 3,232 3,411 954 42,129 
			 South West 9,819 8,590 9,813 8,447 6,394 3,680 3,103 551 50,397 
			   
			  10 October 2005  
			 North East 3,221 1,238 1,204 791 418 178 119 19 7,188 
			 North West 5,674 3,376 3,462 2,398 1,611 955 730 89 18,295 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,367 3,353 3,189 2,205 1,281 496 330 46 16,267 
			 East Midlands 4,041 1,940 1,725 1,038 563 331 277 53 9,968 
			 West Midlands 6,064 3,151 2,153 1,410 1,038 499 385 74 14,774 
			 East of England 8,191 5,242 5,797 3,816 2,373 1,416 1,159 187 28,181 
			 London 1,156 3,997 8,924 8,861 7,982 6,074 8,330 4,496 49,820 
			 South East 6,849 6,294 8,713 7,382 5,079 3,113 3,235 923 41,588 
			 South West 9,493 8,607 9,937 8,498 6,471 3,624 3,065 555 50,250 
			   
			  9 October 2006  
			 North East 3,279 1,315 1,262 783 430 184 127 19 7,399 
			 North West 5,459 3,385 3,589 2,477 1,632 971 775 97 18,385 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,380 3,471 3,325 2,196 1,305 537 325 46 16,585 
			 East Midlands 3,973 2,140 1,823 1,102 554 320 281 59 10,252 
			 West Midlands 6,247 3,390 2,414 1,640 1,122 546 409 88 15,856 
			 East of England 8,212 5,343 5,895 3,830 2,385 1,414 1,159 195 28,433 
			 London 1,233 4,253 9,316 9,063 7,992 5,972 7,868 4,284 49,981 
			 South East 6,915 6,376 8,745 7,326 5,160 3,144 3,137 931 41,734 
			 South West 9,821 8,871 10,170 8,708 6,537 3,686 3,080 586 51,459 
			   
			  8 October 2007  
			 North East 3,167 1,305 1,275 811 429 191 120 22 7,320 
			 North West 5,326 3,660 3,837 2,660 1,725 1,031 788 104 19,131 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,607 3,659 3,417 2,276 1,321 563 328 48 17,219 
			 East Midlands 3,971 2,185 1,832 1,093 551 333 280 60 10,305 
			 West Midlands 5,739 3,706 2,566 1,513 1,081 510 413 87 15,615 
			 East of England 8,123 5,326 5,996 3,858 2,421 1,416 1,161 193 28,494 
			 London 1,264 4,132 8,846 8,808 7,763 5,707 7,209 3,993 47,722 
			 South East 6,839 6,383 8,895 7,444 5,253 3,177 3,138 948 42,077 
			 South West 9,415 8,728 10,145 8,848 6,538 3,646 3,141 592 51,053 
			   
			  6 October 2008  
			 North East 3,225 1,384 1,322 832 477 215 141 22 7,618 
			 North West 5,767 3,968 4,121 2,900 1,852 1,059 804 106 20,577 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,877 3,978 3,643 2,360 1,353 582 337 44 18,174 
			 East Midlands 3,881 2,194 1,850 1,177 603 339 283 59 10,386 
			 West Midlands 5,771 3,885 2,667 1,636 1,134 522 401 79 16,095 
			 East of England 7,986 5,375 6,012 3,929 2,533 1,492 1,171 197 28,695 
			 London 1,325 4,189 8,837 8,860 7,835 5,666 7,209 3,928 47,849 
			 South East 8,749 6,399 8,996 7,540 5,387 3,253 3,255 979 44,558 
			 South West 9,321 8,790 10,204 8,915 6,643 3,779 3,175 605 51,432

Council Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many chargeable dwellings in each council tax band there were in each region in each year from 1997 to 2008.

John Healey: Details of how many chargeable dwellings in each council tax band there were in each region in each year from 1997 to 2008 are shown in the following table. The data are a snapshot taken in the autumn of each year and are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all billing authorities in England on their annual council tax base (CTB) returns.
	Numbers of chargeable dwellings in each council tax band for England, but only at an all England total level, are published by the Department in statistical releases, most recently on 26 November 2008, and in the annual publication 'Local Government Financial Statistics'.
	
		
			   Band A  Band B  Band C  Band D  Band E  Band F  Band G  Band H  Total 
			  3 Nov  1997  
			 North East 643,320 150,105 148,150 70,694 34,751 15,904 9,074 978 1,072,976 
			 Northwest 1,250,413 531,964 489,673 265,402 149,441 74,112 51,491 5,033 2,817,529 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 957,203 398,112 331,569 167,896 104,013 50,245 30,161 2,480 2,041,679 
			 East Midlands 661,857 382,774 303,997 166,851 93,681 44,902 27,420 2,396 1,683,878 
			 West Midlands 693,484 533,196 407,559 221,355 135,103 72,913 44,452 4,314 2,112,376 
			 East of England 308,973 468,062 587,394 375,910 223,799 119,720 82,455 9,434 2,175,747 
			 London 99,663 396,249 794,043 755,314 454,595 220,519 180,911 46,860 2,948,154 
			 South East 268,492 527,829 839,359 644,487 431,715 256,957 207,112 27,155 3,203,106 
			 South West 346,213 507,392 478,489 319,604 209,978 106,429 63,987 5,865 2,037,957 
			   
			  3 Nov  1998  
			 North East 642,130 150,072 149,472 72,289 35,566 16,167 9,247 1,019 1,075,962 
			 North West 1,251,929 534,893 492,203 268,428 152,468 75,294 52,015 5,076 2,832,306 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 955,819 400,337 333,824 170,687 106,085 51,338 30,604 2,518 2,051,212 
			 East Midlands 664,304 385,230 306,290 170,094 96,196 46,134 27,853 2,439 1,698,540 
			 West Midlands 695,245 535,583 409,645 223,866 137,510 74,336 45,335 4,370 2,125,890 
			 East of England 311,895 470,380 591,095 380,063 227,426 122,088 83,855 9,578 2,196,380 
			 London 99,898 399,541 797,675 759,098 456,573 222,216 182,861 47,565 2,965,427 
			 South East 271,015 531,573 843,715 649,088 436,184 260,392 210,047 27,551 3,229,565 
			 Southwest 349,852 510,573 481,321 323,165 214,203 108,376 64,728 5,935 2,058,153 
			   
			  3 Nov  1999  
			 North East 639,023 150,718 150,904 74,063 36,637 16,508 9,411 1,027 1,078,291 
			 North West 1,252,849 538,633 495,747 272,237 155,700 76,755 52,726 5,158 2,849,805 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 954,716 402,689 336,028 173,869 108,770 52,562 31,122 2,573 2,062,329 
			 East Midlands 666,867 387,752 308,713 173,482 99,188 47,623 28,449 2,458 1,714,532 
			 West Midlands 694,748 538,693 412,393 226,690 140,267 76,058 46,235 4,451 2,139,535 
			 East of England 314,029 472,670 594,105 383,948 230,976 124,608 85,503 9,791 2,215,630 
			 London 99,822 403,437 800,302 763,560 458,530 224,683 184,624 48,467 2,983,425 
			 South East 273,059 534,023 847,352 653,850 440,279 264,115 212,813 27,950 3,253,441 
			 South West 352,418 512,905 484,904 327,053 217,863 110,300 65,677 6,020 2,077,140 
			   
			  1 Nov  2000  
			 North East 642,988 152,230 152,632 76,352 37,765 16,833 9,639 1,031 1,089,470 
			 North West 1,267,869 543,069 499,671 276,183 159,247 78,605 53,863 5,270 2,883,777 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 959,073 405,337 339,040 177,965 111,960 54,200 31,944 2,675 2,082,194 
			 East Midlands 672,131 391,759 310,703 177,005 102,310 49,246 29,244 2,490 1,734,888 
			 West Midlands 698,557 541,822 415,384 229,974 143,387 77,892 47,470 4,603 2,159,089 
			 East of England 318,408 476,872 598,660 389,136 234,349 127,024 86,991 10,046 2,241,486 
			 London 102,759 406,922 804,719 768,933 462,610 228,074 187,070 49,702 3,010,789 
			 South East 277,204 537,514 852,739 659,164 444,525 267,773 216,085 28,449 3,283,453 
			 South West 356,792 516,509 488,900 330,922 222,221 112,315 66,834 6,105 2,100,598 
			  1 Nov  2001  
			 North East 640,555 152,622 154,073 78,328 39,079 17,151 9,967 1,050 1,092,825 
			 North West 1,262,039 545,560 502,403 279,428 162,976 80,228 54,717 5,315 2,892,666 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 957,100 407,530 341,342 182,037 115,299 55,683 32,820 2,726 2,094,537 
			 East Midlands 676,053 394,126 313,497 180,544 105,607 50,780 30,041 2,538 1,753,186 
			 West Midlands 697,713 543,614 417,443 232,745 145,975 79,451 48,439 4,711 2,170,091 
			 East of England 320,443 479,398 601,712 392,594 237,562 129,072 88,384 10,213 2,259,378 
			 London 102,493 408,413 807,709 773,498 466,479 230,640 189,012 50,421 3,028,665 
			 South East 278,908 539,435 856,349 663,625 448,620 270,574 218,552 28,775 3,304,838 
			 South West 359,736 519,985 492,367 334,555 225,712 114,104 67,700 6,170 2,120,329 
			   
			  1 Nov  2002  
			 North East London 638,449 153,658 155,272 80,258 40,271 17,617 10,254 1,070 1,096,849 
			 North West 1,260,057 548,719 505,452 283,133 166,609 81,646 55,735 5,462 2,906,813 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 956,417 409,505 343,719 185,535 118,565 57,150 33,525 2,792 2,107,208 
			 East Midlands 676,573 396,177 316,302 183,716 108,707 52,392 30,840 2,578 1,767,285 
			 West Midlands 697,269 546,602 420,415 236,018 149,042 81,319 49,450 4,740 2,184,855 
			 East of England 321,675 481,420 604,936 396,891 240,864 131,599 89,740 10,406 2,277,531 
			 London 101,830 410,338 812,695 778,663 469,813 233,049 190,424 51,035 3,047,847 
			 South East 279,835 542,597 861,170 668,722 452,888 273,676 220,894 29,208 3,328,990 
			 South West 361,351 522,925 495,692 338,112 228,809 115,987 68,520 6,254 2,137,650 
			   
			  3 Nov  2003  
			 North East 638,476 154,253 156,193 81,769 41,264 18,078 10,489 1,067 1,101,589 
			 North West 1,260,433 552,435 508,912 287,413 169,563 82,908 56,703 5,542 2,923,909 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 956,015 411,557 345,459 189,173 121,171 58,038 33,983 2,823 2,118,219 
			 East Midlands 679,912 397,581 318,872 187,210 111,098 53,657 31,314 2,623 1,782,267 
			 West Midlands 698,976 548,618 422,615 239,396 151,545 82,619 50,287 4,790 2,198,846 
			 East of England 322,972 483,885 607,580 401,016 244,093 133,231 90,951 10,505 2,294,233 
			 London 102,278 412,658 817,281 783,347 472,513 235,496 191,969 51,641 3,067,183 
			 South East 281,481 545,939 865,094 673,561 455,931 276,122 222,397 29,590 3,350,115 
			 South West 364,349 525,884 498,945 341,817 230,885 117,532 68,878 6,280 2,154,570 
			   
			  1 Nov  2004  
			 North East 636,777 155,272 157,213 83,398 42,297 18,457 10,677 1,087 1,105,178 
			 North West 1,257,266 556,992 512,713 291,900 172,407 83,966 57,361 5,639 2,938,244 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 956,778 414,827 348,671 193,265 123,109 58,977 34,476 2,820 2,132,923 
			 East Midlands 682,896 400,625 322,179 190,847 113,177 54,841 31,762 2,668 1,798,995 
			 West Midlands 698,950 551,918 425,498 242,350 153,602 83,651 51,035 4,807 2,211,811 
			 East of England 324,269 486,517 611,663 405,720 247,419 134,906 91,716 10,613 2,312,823 
			 London 101,358 413,781 822,322 787,709 475,586 236,983 192,703 52,062 3,082,504 
			 South East 281,744 549,690 870,304 679,986 459,170 278,502 224,026 29,923 3,373,345 
			 South West 366,459 529,753 503,191 345,433 233,257 118,978 69,336 6,359 2,172,766 
			   
			  10 Oct 2005  
			 North East 634,129 156,349 158,402 84,778 43,215 18,800 10,886 1,109 1,107,668 
			 North West 1,254,347 561,954 515,601 295,454 173,968 84,877 57,864 5,705 2,949,770 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 958,244 417,874 351,499 196,221 124,541 59,610 34,783 2,844 2,145,616 
			 East Midlands 685,552 402,936 325,204 193,365 114,872 55,789 32,158 2,671 1,812,547 
			 West Midlands 700,260 555,330 428,103 245,147 154,999 84,364 51,533 4,864 2,224,600 
			 East of England 327,129 489,843 616,137 409,404 249,765 136,238 92,445 10,783 2,331,744 
			 London 102,532 416,823 830,604 793,973 478,914 238,947 193,653 52,598 3,108,044 
			 South East 285,267 553,001 876,949 685,906 462,406 280,440 225,149 30,163 3,399,281 
			 South West 368,870 532,582 506,523 348,088 235,104 119,964 69,752 6,403 2,187,286 
			   
			  9 Oct 2006  
			 North East 632,961 158,976 160,182 85,965 44,064 19,159 11,081 1,131 1,113,519 
			 North West 1,255,835 569,290 520,222 299,247 175,927 85,819 58,287 5,792 2,970,419 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 958,349 421,400 355,550 199,251 126,030 60,450 35,178 2,870 2,159,078 
			 East Midlands 688,108 406,786 328,616 196,019 116,395 56,686 32,510 2,678 1,827,798 
			 West Midlands 701,781 560,082 431,911 248,081 156,546 85,128 52,063 4,920 2,240,512 
			 East of England 329,921 494,319 620,889 413,944 252,314 137,569 93,475 10,952 2,353,383 
			 London 103,689 420,576 838,414 801,104 481,844 240,976 194,630 53,218 3,134,451 
			 South East 287,938 559,505 885,158 692,453 466,099 282,466 226,670 30,516 3,430,805 
			 South West 373,075 537,894 511,618 351,508 237,375 120,974 70,091 6,503 2,209,038 
			   
			  8 Oct 2007  
			 North East 632,818 161,789 161,857 87,415 44,627 19,460 11,237 1,153 1,120,356 
			 North West 1,256,151 577,480 525,575 303,378 177,357 86,606 58,421 5,879 2,990,847 
			 Yorkshire and the Number 957,629 426,086 359,033 201,990 127,215 61,133 35,360 2,897 2,171,343 
			 East Midlands 692,315 411,573 333,043 198,676 117,779 57,274 32,815 2,696 1,846,171 
			 West Midlands 703,364 564,508 435,558 250,299 157,990 85,546 52,409 4,941 2,254,615 
			 East of England 333,156 501,053 627,039 418,635 255,285 138,999 94,351 11,145 2,379,663 
			 London 105,114 424,253 848,734 807,723 484,579 242,674 194,779 53,655 3,161,511 
			 South East 292,255 567,195 894,039 699,785 468,902 284,584 227,535 30,920 3,465,215 
			 South West 378,907 544,380 516,405 355,170 239,242 121,845 70,374 6,565 2,232,888 
			   
			  6 Oct 2008  
			 North East 631,311 164,191 163,628 88,801 45,203 19,681 11,355 1,179 1,125,349 
			 North West 1,257,746 586,683 529,579 306,230 178,223 87,091 58,548 5,987 3,010,087 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 962,094 432,791 363,736 204,986 128,453 61,829 35,596 2,962 2,192,447 
			 East Midlands 697,725 417,325 336,626 201,260 118,935 57,880 33,052 2,713 1,865,516 
			 West Midlands 703,807 569,909 439,121 252,297 159,351 86,235 52,697 4,981 2,268,398 
			 East of England 336,033 508,049 632,710 422,724 257,393 140,006 94,841 11,393 2,403,149 
			 London 105,677 428,235 860,363 816,303 487,682 243,822 195,240 54,142 3,191,464 
			 South East 297,754 575,802 903,921 706,279 471,469 285,858 228,545 31,327 3,500,955 
			 South West 385,144 551,064 521,628 359,108 241,176 122,673 70,793 6,671 2,258,257

Councillors

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1072-3W, on councillors: Arun, whether the Audit Commission plans to obtain bank account information from councillors in other local authorities during its next National Fraud Initiative national data matching exercise.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 20 April 2009:
	Your Parliamentary question on whether the Audit Commission plans to obtain bank account information from councillors in other local authorities during its next National Fraud Initiative national data matching exercise has been passed to me to reply.
	All local authorities will be required to provide payroll data relating to a salary, members' allowance or other remuneration for the next scheduled exercise, NFI 2010/11. The fields required for data matching are set out in a 'data specification'. The bank account and sort code are included on the payroll data specification. This information is required under powers in Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in  Hansard.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how long her Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government signed up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme in April 2006. Since then, the Department has continued to work with the Carbon Trust to identify opportunities to reduce further carbon emissions.
	In 2007-08, the Department reduced its electricity and gas consumption in its main headquarter building by 22 per cent. and 37 per cent., respectively, compared to 2006-07.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in her Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Sadiq Khan: The information is as follows.
	 Ministerial Team
	The costs of laptops in 2005 to 2007 are not recorded separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number  Cost  () 
			 2005 1 n/a 
			 2006 1 n/a 
			 2007 1 n/a 
			 2008 1 1,047 
			 2009 1 1,047 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	 Special advisers
	The cost and numbers of any laptops provided to special advisers in 2005 and 2006 are not recorded separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number  Cost  () 
			 2005 n/a n/a 
			 2006 n/a n/a 
			 2007 1 1,178 
			 2008 2 (1)1,047 
			 2009 0  
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Plus one laptop reused. 
		
	
	The Department as a whole (figures include those above). Cost information for 2005 and 2006 is not centrally held and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. A further 31 laptops were purchased during 2007 as part of a wider project to upgrade the CLG network and costs cannot be disaggregated from the overall project costs.
	
		
			   Number  Cost  () 
			 2005 237 n/a 
			 2006 140 n/a 
			 2007 61 72,089 
			 2008 123 182,582 
			 2009 159 285,227 
			 n/a = Not available.

Departmental Manpower

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her Department's staff were employed to work on housing-related matters in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The following table shows the numbers of staff employed in Housing Directorates in each of the last five years. There may be other staff engaged in housing-related matters, though it is not possible to ascertain this without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number 
			  Current Directorate Title  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Housing Delivery and Homelessness 102.54 108.49 114.01 110.62 138.12 
			 Housing Management and Support 57.18 61.49 64.66 50.76 73.85 
			 Housing Markets 38.77 40.61 43.39 49.63 66.55 
			 Grand Total 198.49 210.59 222.06 211.01 278.52

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in her Department in each year since 2005.

Sadiq Khan: This information is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. However, details of our total spend on mobile devices (hardware and running costs) for the last five years are in the following table:
	
		
			   Total  () 
			 2004-05 94,487 
			 2005-06 94,904 
			 2006-08 112,650 
			 2008-09 166,985

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in her Department in each year since 2005.

Sadiq Khan: This information is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the Department currently has 684 mobile devices on contract from our supplier; 284 of these devices are BlackBerrys.

Departmental Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the system for the remuneration of  (a) board members and  (b) special advisers in her Department includes an incentive or bonus element.

Sadiq Khan: The Communities and Local Government board consists of eight executive board members and five non-executive board members (although one non-executive board member post is vacant at present). There is no system of incentives or bonuses for the non-executive board members.
	The eight executive board members are all senior civil servants and therefore eligible to be considered for annual performance bonuses under senior civil service pay arrangements. Our senior civil service staff members are assessed against a range of factors, such as:
	The achievement of their Prime Objective which focuses on the way in which they lead, manage and develop their staff;
	Degree to which business objectives are met;
	Delivery for Ministers;
	Demonstration of skills such as judgment, leadership and the PSG skills;
	Effective resource management
	There is no system of incentives or bonuses for special advisers in the Department.

Eco-Towns: Publicity

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of producing the eco-town video on the directgov website; and which organisation produced the video.

Margaret Beckett: The cost of producing the video 'Animated eco-town walkthroughwhat might an eco-town look like?' on the Directgov website was 21,500 excluding VAT. It was produced by Smoothe, a design agency procured through the COI.

Empty Property: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential dwellings were vacant in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The number of empty residential dwellings in Castle Point and Essex in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Castle Point  Essex 
			 1 November 2004 664 14,541 
			 10 October 2005 712 15,697 
			 9 October 2006 811 16,331 
			 8 October 2007 862 16,045 
			 6 October 2008 877 18,365 
		
	
	Data for Essex are the sum of all vacant dwellings in the individual billing authorities including Castle Point but excluding figures for Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.
	The data are as reported annually to Communities and Local Government on the CTB and CTB (Supplementary) forms that are completed by all billing authorities in England. The data relate to particular dates in the autumn of each year.

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, column 483W, on the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, for what reasons the British Humanist Association was funded from the fund.

Sadiq Khan: The British Humanist Association received 25,000 in order to establish and support a network of grassroots humanists to work and build relationships with statutory bodies and participate in groups that advise local authorities on matters of religion or belief, or encourage dialogue between people with different beliefs. The project aimed to enable local humanists to network with faith and 'interfaith' groups and participate in groups convened by local authorities, and thus contribute towards good relations and community cohesion.
	The Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund was designed to increase the capacity of all religion and belief communities to engage with each other and with wider society. The guidance notes for the fund included the following definition:
	For the purpose of this fund, a faith organisation is defined as one where the majority of its members adhere to the same faith. They share a world view or 'life stance' that involves a set of moral and spiritual values and beliefs about the nature of life and the world. They will usually, but not always, believe in a god or gods.
	The application was made under the relationships with local, regional or national Government categoryone of the capacity building categories of the fund. In its application, the BHA described their faith tradition as: Humanist (though we do not think of ourselves as a 'faith', we meet the definition of 'faith' given in the guidance).

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, column 483W, on the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund, what funding her Department and its agencies have allocated to the British Humanist Association other than through the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund; and for what purposes.

Sadiq Khan: None.

Fire Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the number of fires prevented in each  (a) region and  (b) fire authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: There is no mechanism that allows Communities and Local Government to access how many fires have been prevented. However the latest provisional figures show that in 2007-08, fire and rescue services in England attended a total of 293,900 fires, a 32 per cent. reduction on the 2001-02 figure of 431,800.

Fire Services: Manpower

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire stations in each fire and rescue authority area were staffed in  (a) whole and  (b) part by retained fire fighters in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The number of fire stations in England by type of staffing system is set out as follows.
	As at 31 March 2008 there were 774 fire stations staffed wholly by retained duty firefighters in England. Stations with the Day-crew, Nucleus and 'Wholetime-other duty' system staffing typically use both whole-time and retained firefighters.
	
		
			  Fire stations in England as at 31 March 2008 
			  Type of fire station  Number 
			 Whole-time 2:2:4 shift 551 
			 Day-crew 97 
			 Wholetime-other duty system 14 
			 Nucleus 3 
			 Retained duty system 774 
			 Total 1,439

Fire Services: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average cost was of employing a full-time equivalent  (a) fire fighter and  (b) retained fire fighter in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The latest available data for average costs of employing fire fighters are for 2007-08 and are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Average costs of employing fire fighters( 1) , England, 2007-08 
			   Whole-time  Retained 
			 Headcount (31 March 2008) 30,824 14,166 
			 Full-time equivalents (31 March 2008) 30,580 n/a 
			 Cost ( million) 1,276 110 
			 Average cost per full-time equivalent () 41,738 n/a 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Costs are collected as totals covering all roles from Fire Fighter to Brigade Manager. (2) Pay, employer pension contributions and employer national insurance contributions.  Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies spent on staff in each year since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: The predecessor bodies of the HCA were English Partnerships, the investment arm of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. A range of programmes previously delivered by Communities and Local Government (CLG) also transferred to the Agency.
	The last 10 years spending on staff for English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation can be found in their published Annual Report and Accounts. The spend for the Academy was consolidated within the Annual Report and Accounts of its parent organisation, Yorkshire Forward. The salary costs for ASC staff were 42,000 in 2005-06, the year of its establishment, 972,000 in 2006-07 and 1.28 million 2007-08. The costs of CLG staff that transferred to the Agency were included within Departmental Annual Reports and could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost.
	The HCA is responsible to Parliament for ensuring public funds are properly used. The Agency is also subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office. Information on staff costs for the year ending 31 March 2009 will be published in the HCA's Annual Report and Accounts which will be laid before Parliament later this year.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (b) Tenants Service Authority have spent on IT since their inception.

Margaret Beckett: Since their establishment the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has spent approximately 0.8 million on IT for former English Partnerships, Academy for Sustainable Communities and transferred CLG staff. The spend for the Tenants Services Authority (TSA) is 0.9 million which covers the costs of IT relating to former Housing Corporation staff. This cannot be disaggregated between those staff that transferred to the HCA and those that transferred to the TSA.

Housing: Construction

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the social effect on communities of the Government's target of building 3 million new homes by 2020 not being met.

Iain Wright: The Housing Green Paper Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable published in July 2007 set out the Government's ambition to increase housing supply. This step-change in housing delivery is necessary to ensure adequate housing supply that is crucial in order to improve housing affordability, ease the pressure on social housing waiting lists and improve economic productivity.

Housing: Construction

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new units of social housing have been built in  (a) Stafford constituency,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: Information on new build social housing by constituency is not available. The following table shows the number of new build for social rent in Stafford local authority, the West Midlands region, and England in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Area  2007-08 
			 Stafford local authority 60 
			 West Midlands region 2,060 
			 England 25,390 
		
	
	The social rent new build figures are from the Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns and P2 house building returns submitted to CLG by local authorities and the National House-Building Council (NHBC).
	Not all social rented housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. An additional 3,980 social rented homes were acquired in England in 2007-08; these are not included in the table. The social rent figures differ from the number of affordable homes provided, because the affordable housing figures also include intermediate rent and low-cost home ownership, as well as social rent.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the difference was between  (a) the actual rate of (i) inflation, (ii) wage inflation, (iii) discount rate for scheme liabilities and (iv) increase for pensions and  (b) the assumptions of each made by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessors in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what assumptions about  (a) inflation,  (b) wage inflation,  (c) discount rate for scheme liabilities and  (d) rate of increase for pensions were made by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessors in each of the last three years.

Margaret Beckett: Homes and Communities Agency employees are covered by three pension schemes. The English Partnerships Pension scheme was renamed the Homes and Communities Agency Pension scheme with effect from 1 December 2008, when the Homes and Communities Agency replaced English Partnerships as the Principal Employer. It was adopted as the scheme of choice for the Homes and Communities Agency and is used to provide benefits for new employees of the Agency. Due to legacy arrangements on the formation of the Agency, some employees are covered by the Westminster Pension Fund or the West Sussex Pension Fund, both Local Government Pension schemes.
	An actuarial valuation of each of the schemes is carried out every three years to assess the value of liabilities and future funding requirements. The assumptions used for the valuation are set by the Trustees or Administering Authority after taking actuarial advice. As part of the valuation, an analysis of the experience over the previous three years is carried out. The assumptions used to value each Scheme's liabilities are long term assumptions and are intended to reflect experience over the lifetime of the scheme. Details of the most recent available actuarial valuation for each of the schemes are as follows:
	The experience for the three years following the valuation of the Homes and Communities Agency Pension scheme as at 31 March 2005 was as follows (the Trustees' long-term assumptions at 31 March 2005 are shown in brackets):
	
		
			   Percentage  p.a 
			 (a) average inflation 3.4 (2.8) 
			 (b) average wage inflation 4.5 (4.8) 
			 (c) average investment return/discount rate 6.2 (6.2)(1) 
			 (d) average rate of pension increase 3.4 (2.8) 
			 (1) This figure is a weighted average, assuming a return of 6.7 per cent, on assets backing pre-retirement liabilities and 5.2 per cent. on assets backing post-retirement liabilities. 
		
	
	The approximate impact on the Scheme's ongoing liabilities due to actual experience differing from the assumptions over the three years to 31 March 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			   Increase/decrease 
			 (a) average inflation higher than assumed (includes impact on pension increases) increase by 1.1 million 
			 (b) average wage inflation lower than assumed decrease by 0.7 million 
			 (d) rate of pension increase higher than assumed increase by 0.8 million 
		
	
	The next actuarial valuation has an effective date of 31 March 2008 and is currently being finalised.
	The experience for the three years following the valuation of the Westminster Pension Fund as at 31 March 2004 was as follows (the long-term assumptions at 31 March 2004 are shown in brackets):
	
		
			   Percentage  p.a 
			 (a) inflation 3.1 (2.9) 
			 (b) wage inflation (estimate) 5.4 (4.4) 
			 (c) investment return/average discount rate 13.0 (5.7) 
			 (d) rate of pension increase 3.1 (2.9) 
		
	
	The financial impact for the (then) Housing Corporation over the three years to 31 March 2007 is as follows:
	(a) change in financial assumptions: reduced funding position by approximately 2.5 million.
	(b) investment returns greater than expected: improved funding position by approximately 16.9 million.
	The assumptions used to determine the value of the ongoing liabilities of the Westminster Pension Fund for the triennial actuarial valuation of the Fund as at 31 March 2007 were as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage  p.a 
			 (a) inflation 3.2 
			 (b) wage inflation 4.7 
			 (c) (i) discount rate for members whilst in service 6.2 
			 (ii) discount rate for members other than whilst in service 5.2 
			 (d) rate of pension increase 3.2 
		
	
	An analysis of the experience over the three years following the valuation is not yet available. The next actuarial valuation will have an effective date of 31 March 2010.
	The experience for the three years following the valuation of the West Sussex County Council Pension Fund as at 31 March 2004 was as follows (the long-term assumptions at 31 March 2004 are shown in brackets):
	
		
			   Percentage  p.a 
			 (a) average inflation 2.9 (2.9) 
			 (b) average wage inflation (1)3.5 (4.4) 
			 (c) average investment return/discount rate 14.1 (6.3) 
			 (d) average rate of pension increase 2.9 (2.9) 
			 (1) This is an average figure for the Fund as a whole, based on average pensionable salaries at 31 March 2004 and 31 March 2007. 
		
	
	A breakdown of the impact on the Fund's ongoing liabilities due to actual experience differing from the assumptions is not disclosed in the actuarial valuation report. However at a high level the financial impact for the whole fund over the three years to 31 March 2007 is as follows:
	 (a) change in financial assumptions: reduced funding position by 156 million.
	 (b) investment returns greater than expected: improved funding position by 278 million.
	The assumptions used to determine the value of the ongoing liabilities of the West Sussex county council pension fund for the triennial actuarial valuation of the fund as at 31 March 2007 were as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage  p.a 
			 (a) inflation 3.2 
			 (b) wage inflation (1)4.7 
			 (c) discount used to value liabilities 6.1 
			 (d) rate of pension increase 3.2 
			 (1 )Plus allowances for promotional increases 
		
	
	An analysis of the experience over the three years following the valuation is not yet available. The next actuarial valuation will have an effective date of 31 March 2010.

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of first-time home buyers there were in each year between 1987 and 1996.

Iain Wright: The numbers of first-time buyers purchasing a home with a mortgage in the UK in each year between 1987 and 1996 are presented as follows. This shows between 1987 and 1996 there were 4,689,400 first-time buyers. There were 5,272,500 between 1997 and 2008.
	
		
			   Number of first-time buyers purchasing with a mortgage, UK 
			 1987 523,700 
			 1988 580,300 
			 1989 455,200 
			 1990 409,200 
			 1991 336,200 
			 1992 447,600 
			 1993 519,500 
			 1994 532,100 
			 1995 420,300 
			 1996 465,300 
			  Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of applications for judicial review of discussions taken by the Infrastructure Planning Commission which will be made in the first three years of its operation.

Iain Wright: The number of judicial reviews the Infrastructure Planning Commission is likely to face in the first three years of its operation depends on a number of unknown variables. As such it is not possible to make a meaningful estimate of their number. However, I am confident that the Commission will ensure its decisions are robust and would be able to defended legal challenges vigorously.

Local Government

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) employment and  (b) classes of employment are incompatible with source as a councillor in a local authority where the authority is or, is deemed to be, the employer.

John Healey: A person who is employed by a local authority is disqualified for being a member of that local authority whatever their occupation.

Local Government: Bank Services

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1695-6W, on local government finance, if she will seek to obtain information on the levels of exposure of local authorities to the Madoff hedge fund.

John Healey: I have no plans to seek further information on levels of exposure on local government finance due to investment in the Madoff hedge fund.

Local Government: Bank Services

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what capitalisation directions to local authorities have been issued by her Department for back pay for equal pay claims to date; and for what value in each case.

John Healey: Since 2006, the Government have issued over 1.1 billion in capitalisation directions to provide support for councils to deliver equal pay for thousands of employees.
	In 2006-07, Communities and Local Government approved capitalisation directions for equal pay for 35 authorities totalling 160.5 million. A full list of these authorities and the sums they received is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/cap0607appls.xls
	The actual amount of capital expenditure used by individual authorities is available from their accounts.
	In 2007-08, 46 applications for equal pay capitalisation were approved, totalling 500 million. The full list of authorities who received capitalisation directions, including the amount of capitalisation used is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/equalpay0708.pdf
	A further 455 million approved for 34 councils in 2008-09. The amount of capitalisation used by each individual authority will not be published until September 2009. However, a list of the councils who received directions is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/977615

Local Government: Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance has been provided to local authorities on  (a) the setting of investment strategies in respect of the local government pension scheme and  (b) appropriate levels of exposure to equities;
	(2)  what requirements there are on trustees of local government pension schemes in relation to maximising returns on their investments.

John Healey: Investment decisions in the local government pension scheme in England and Wales are the responsibility of designated administering authorities whose decisions are subject to the provisions governing the management and investment of funds. Authorities are required to publish a Statement of Investment Principles, including their policy on the expected rate of return on investments, the types of investments to be held and the way in which risks are measured and managed. Decisions must be taken on the basis of expert advice, and comply with the regulations and with each authority's published Statement of Investment Principles and Funding Strategy Statement. Authorities must have regard also to guidance issued by CIPFA on the preparation of these statements and on funding and investment issues.
	Those responsible for investment decisions in the scheme are also required to act within general legal principles relating to their fiduciary duty and the investment of monies held in trust.

Local Government: Redundancy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on redundancy payments to local authority staff.

John Healey: The Department issues no general guidance on redundancy payments. All decisions to terminate a local authority employment, for any reason, are matters for the local authority involved.

Mobile Homes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 550W, on mobile homes, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's ad hoc survey on local authorities in England.

Iain Wright: The 2006 ad hoc survey of park home sites in England has now been placed in the Library. The data were provided by local authorities and my Department is not responsible for their accuracy.

Mortgages

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department and its agencies hold on the amount of mortgage lending which has funded mortgages  (a) for new build,  (b) for first-time buyers and  (c) with high loan to property value ratios in the last (i) six and (ii) 12 months.

Iain Wright: The Department holds data on completed mortgages used for house purchase via the Regulated Mortgage Survey (RMS) which is supplied by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The RMS covers about 60 per cent. of the UK mortgage market and includes details on whether the mortgage was used to purchase a new build property, whether the buyer was a first-time buyer and the loan amount and the purchase price of the property.
	From this survey we have the following information on the amount of mortgage lending which has funded mortgages for house purchase  (a) for new build,  (b) for first-time buyers and  (c) with high loan to value ratios in the (i) six months to February 2009 and (ii) the 12 months to February 2009:
	
		
			  Mortgage lending for house purchase (based on amount loaned) as a percentage of all mortgage lending for house purchase 
			   Six months to February 2009 (Percentage)  12 months to February 2009 (Percentage) 
			 New build 6.8 7.3 
			 First-time buyers 30.0 30.0 
			 High loan to value ratios (90 per cent. or over) 17.1 24.0 
			
			 Total gross mortgage lending for house purchase ( million) 25,624 67,841 
			  Notes:  1. These data are not necessarily representative of all mortgage lending as they are based on the Regulated Mortgage Survey data that Communities and Local Government hold which include only mortgages for house purchase and cover only about 60 per cent. of the market. 2. The total gross mortgage lending for house purchase is published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in each local authority area have received assistance under her Department's mortgage rescue scheme in circumstances where a housing association has purchased a property that would otherwise have been repossessed; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: As part of the monitoring arrangements for the Government mortgage rescue scheme, headline data will be published on a monthly basis on the Department's website starting this month. We plan to publish data for January, February and March 2009 on 21 April 2009.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's announcement of 31 March 2009 on business rates, what the estimated cost to the Exchequer will be of the proposed changes.

John Healey: The impact assessment, which will be prepared alongside the necessary secondary legislation, will set out details of the cost to the Exchequer and include costs to local government which are being considered as part of the Government's new burdens rules.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's announcement of 31 March 2009 on business rates, 
	(1)  whether an impact assessment of the proposals has been prepared;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the likely take-up rate of the deferred business rate scheme.

John Healey: There are approximately 1.7 million hereditaments in England that could potentially be eligible for deferring the increase in their business rate bills. An impact assessment will be undertaken as part of the process of making the necessary secondary legislation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's announcement of 31 March 2009 on business rates, what funding will be provided to local authorities to cover the costs of rebilling.

John Healey: Any policy which increases the cost of providing local authority services is subject to the new burdens principle. The Government are committed to ensuring that all net new burdens falling on local authorities are fully and properly funded. The business rates announcement is covered by the new burdens principle, and the potential net impacts on local authorities will be fully funded.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the eligibility criteria are for small business rate relief in  (a) England outside London and  (b) London.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	 EnglandSmall Business Rate Relief Scheme
	The eligibility rules for small business rate relief can be found at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	and are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Rateable value threshold criterion  Multiplier payable  Relief granted  Note 
			 Below 5,000England and London Small business rate multiplier for 2008-09 is 48.1p 50 per cent. rate relief on liability This relief is available for occupiers of one property.  But other properties with a rateable value under 2,200 can be disregarded in deciding whether the single occupancy criterion has been met.  However, the rateable value(s) of such properties are included in determining whether the threshold criterion has been met. 
			 Between 5,000 and 10,000England and London As above Relief is on a declining sliding scale from 50 per cent. to zero reducing at 1 per cent. per 100 of rateable value  
			 Between 10,000 and 21,499 in London or 10,000 and 14,999 elsewhere As above No relief granted  
			 Above 14,999 in England and 21,500 in London National non-domestic rate multiplier for 2009-10 is 48.5p No relief granted The small business rate relief scheme is funded by businesses that pay the national non-domestic rates multiplier.

Planning: Gardens

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities have to exclude gardens from brownfield designation within their local development framework.

Iain Wright: Residential gardens are contained within the definition of previously-developed land in Annex B of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3). However, paragraph 43 of PPS 3 says that local authorities can, when deciding the priority for the location of new housing, set out in their local development framework the contributions expected from different categories of previously-developed land. This could include residential gardens. If garden development is a particular issue for an authority, then they could also introduce a plan policy on development in gardens which, for example, could set out the circumstances and type of development that would or would not be acceptable.
	On the 2 April the Government announced, via a response to a parliamentary question from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam, a review into the evidence on the extent and impact of housing development on garden land in order to establish whether there was a genuine problem. Further details can be found at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090402/text/90402w0048.htm#0904032000060

Regional Government: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 6 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1885-86W, on joint economic commission, what funding has been given to each regional economic commission; what the remit of each is; who the members of each are; and how each was appointed.

Sadiq Khan: As part of the Government's response to the economic downturn, the Ministers for each English region have established regional economic fora, which they co-chair with the chair of the regional development agenda. These short-term, ad hoc advisory groups, whose members are unpaid, have no dedicated budgets and are supported by secretariats provided by their Government offices. The members come from a variety of bodies with an interest in the regional economy, including public sector bodies, local authorities, business organisations, unions and the third sector and were invited to take part in the meetings by the co-chairs of the fora.
	Details of the remits and members of each forum have been placed in the Library.

Sheltered Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area (i) live in and (ii) are on a waiting list for sheltered accommodation.

Iain Wright: Information is collected on sheltered housing schemes for older people that are in receipt of Supporting People funding. The information collected does not include a count of people but shows the number of household units that can be accommodated in the sheltered housing. A household unit can be one or more persons. A table has been placed in the Library which includes the number of household units that can be accommodated in such sheltered housing services, by region and administering authority area as at 31 December 2008.
	No information is collected centrally on waiting lists for sheltered accommodation.

Sheltered Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sheltered accommodation  (a) units and  (b) schemes there are in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area.

Iain Wright: Information is collected on sheltered housing schemes for older people that are in receipt of Supporting People funding. The information collected includes the number of household units that can be accommodated in the sheltered housing. A household unit can be one or more persons.
	A table has been placed in the Library showing  (a) the number of household units that can be accommodated and  (b) the number of sheltered housing services for older people in receipt of Supporting People funding as at 31st December 2008, by region and administering authority area.

Sheltered Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on the employment of wardens and care workers in sheltered accommodation schemes.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not issue any guidance on the employment of wardens and care workers in sheltered accommodation.
	However Communities and Local Government has recently refreshed the Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) which is a voluntary scheme that sets out the standards expected in the delivery of housing-related support services, including staff quality and competencealthough not mandatory, the majority of administering authorities continue to use the QAF to continue to drive up the quality standards of service providers and to ensure that services adapt to meet the changing needs of clients.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many social homes there are expected to be in  (a) London,  (b) Birmingham,  (c) Liverpool,  (d) Leeds,  (e) Sheffield,  (f) Bristol,  (g) Manchester,  (h) Leicester,  (i) Coventry,  (j) Kingston upon Hull,  (k) Bradford,  (l ) Stoke-on-Trent,  (m) Wolverhampton,  (n) Nottingham,  (o) Plymouth,  (p) Southampton,  (q) Reading,  (r) Derby,  (s) Dudley and  (t) Newcastle upon Tyne in 2010;
	(2)  how many social homes there were in  (a) London,  (b) Birmingham,  (c) Liverpool,  (d) Leeds,  (e) Sheffield,  (f) Bristol,  (g) Manchester,  (h) Leicester,  (i) Coventry,  (j) Kingston upon Hull,  (k) Bradford,  (l ) Stoke-on-Trent,  (m) Wolverhampton,  (n) Nottingham,  (o) Plymouth,  (p) Southampton,  (q) Reading,  (r) Derby,  (s) Dudley and  (t) Newcastle upon Tyne in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008; and how many there were on 1 March 2009.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather) on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1510W. A table has already been placed in the Library to provide the number of social homes owned by local authorities and registered social landlords in 2008, for every local authority area.
	A new table showing the number of social homes owned by local authority and registered social landlords in 2007, for every local authority area has been deposited in the Library.
	Information on local authority (LA) owned housing stock is collected from local authorities on the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return. This information is recorded as at 1 April and is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 116 at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/140882.xls
	Information on Registered Social Landlords' (RSL) stock is collected through the Tenant Services Authority's Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) and is recorded as at 31 March.
	Figures for RSLs are for social housing stock owned in England only and include general needs, supported housing and housing for older people accommodation. Both self-contained units and bed spaces are included because a split for local authority areas is not available.
	Information is not available for the expected number of social homes in 2010 or for the number of social homes on 1 March 2009.

Social Rented Housing

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance the Tenant Services Authority gives to housing associations in respect of the affordability to tenants of rent increases.

Iain Wright: On 29 January 2009, the Tenant Services Authority issued a guidance note to housing associations entitled Guideline limit for rent increasesit can be found on their website at:
	http://www.tenantservicesauthority.org/server/show/ConWebDoc.16647
	The guidance note refers to a circular (04/08) from the former Housing Corporation entitled Rent, Rent Differentials and Service Charges. This is available to download at:
	http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.156337PHPSESSID8beeecea4f3ff072063dbe6c96d431a4

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses to its consultation on Traveller sites the South East England regional assembly has rejected because the views in the response are considered by the Assembly to be discriminatory.

Iain Wright: The regional assembly held this consultation and took decisions on how to treat responses. It has not yet submitted the outcome to the Secretary of State.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking on the provision of sites for Travellers in those districts adjoining Sevenoaks district council.

Sadiq Khan: The provision of pitches for the Gypsy and Traveller community throughout the south-east of England is currently being reviewed as part of the region's spatial strategy. The review is being undertaken by the South East England regional assembly, as the regional planning body. The next stage in the Gypsy and Travellers regional spatial strategy review will be a public consultation, followed some months later by an examination in public.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of abortions which will take place in each year to 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No assessment has been made of the number of abortions which will take place in each year to 2015. The reasons women seek an abortion are complex and may be subject to a number of different factors, and this means that it is very difficult to formulate robust estimates.

Abortion: Costs

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS was of providing abortions up to nine weeks of pregnancy in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Abortion: Costs

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS was of providing morning-after pills in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of emergency contraception (morning after pills) for the latest period for which figures are available is given in the following table. The cost is for drugs listed in the British National Formulary (BNF) under paragraph 7.3.5, emergency contraception.
	This figure is taken from the prescription cost analysis system, supplied by the prescription pricing division of the Business Services Authority, and covers prescriptions dispensed in England. It is based on an analysis of prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals (including mental health trusts), private prescriptions, or community contraceptive services.
	
		
			  000 
			 2007 1,892.3 
		
	
	Cost is the net ingredient cost and is given in thousands.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Death

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the causes of death at accident and emergency departments in  (a) England and  (b) the North East in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to approach local national health service organisations for further information.

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to inform people of the effects on health of excessive alcohol consumption in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has invested 6 million per year in a national communications campaign, launched in May 2008, to improve the public's understanding of units of alcohol and alcohol related health harm. The campaign's purpose is to give clear information about how many units are in alcoholic drinks and to raise awareness of the risks to health of regularly drinking too much. Its messages are being released across television, press, outdoor, radio and on-line channels.
	We intend that this campaign should be sustained over a number of years. The key tasks in 2009-10 will be to optimise the unit messaging, by continuing to focus on the recommended unit guidelines and to communicate the health risks associated with drinking regularly in excess of these guidelines through media channels such as television and print.
	We also provide web-based support and advice and an enhanced helpline available nationally.
	We have recently completed an innovative pilot to target information to neighbourhoods, individuals and their families and encourage those most affected to seek advice and support, including help from health professionals locally. Initial results are promising and development work will continue in 2009. The aim is to develop an evidence base for effective local action by national health service bodies.
	The north-east has launched a regional alcohol office, which is committed to changing the drinking culture in the north-east by informing, influencing and educating people about the health and other dangers caused by alcohol misuse, both to themselves as individuals and to the wider community and by encouraging evidence-based NHS interventions.
	Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust has received 150,000 in additional funding in 2008-09, as an Early Implementer of the Alcohol Improvement Programme, to implement high impact changes and other measures, which will address health problems caused by alcohol misuse. This includes providing 32,000 funding for extra identification and brief advice sessions in hospitals, accident and emergency departments, and primary care.

Ambulance Services: Airwave Service

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish each document concerning Airwave which he has sent to ambulance trusts since November 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: No formal documentation has been issued to ambulance trusts with regards to Airwave although regular communication takes place between the Department and ambulance trusts; this includes planning documentation related to the implementation of the radio project and regular reports to ambulance chief executives on progress to date.

Antidepressants

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescriptions for each selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were dispensed in each of the last five years; and how many were dispensed to persons aged over 65 years;
	(2)  how many prescriptions for each selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were dispensed to persons aged  (a) under 10,  (b) 10 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 25 years in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The number of items of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) dispensed in England is available by calendar year from the Prescribing Cost Analysis database.
	The number of items dispensed for each formulation is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) prescription items dispensed in the community in England, 2003 to 2007 
			  Thousand 
			  Drug name  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Citalopram Hydrobromide 4,210.1 4,615.7 5,077.9 6,265.5 7,830.7 
			 Escitalopram 627.6 1,033.5 1,358.8 1,466.3 1,373.9 
			 Fluoxetine Hydrochloride 4,288.0 4,409.8 4,394.5 4,690.1 5,045.7 
			 Fluvoxamine Maleate 31.6 30.4 29.6 29.8 29.9 
			 Paroxetine Hydrochloride 2,869.3 2,388.3 2,040.2 1,864.9 1,765.9 
			 Sertraline Hydrochloride 1,790.3 1,834.3 1,845.1 1,910.7 2,032.8 
			 Total(1) 13,816.9 14,312.0 14,746.1 16,227.1 18,078.9 
			 (1) Totals may not match individually aggregated figures due to rounding.  Notes: 1. SSRI drugs listed are those classified within the British National Formulary paragraph 4.3.3. 2. Information is not available on the age of a person receiving a particular drug or group of drugs.  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

Autism: Health Services

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many providers of NHS services for people with autism are  (a) direct NHS,  (b) private,  (c) voluntary and  (d) independent providers; and how many such providers are classified as social enterprises;
	(2)  how much funding his Department provided for the commissioning of autism services in the last year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: National health service services are commissioned locally and information on the types and numbers of providers of NHS services for people with autism is not held centrally.
	For 2007-08, and also for the Comprehensive Spending Review 07 (2008-11), the Department did not provide grants for the commissioning of autism services.
	A statutory duty of partnership requires primary care trusts and NHS trusts to participate in local strategic partnerships and the development of local area agreements when agreeing commissioning plans for the delivery of autism services in their locality. The Department published on 2 April this year Services for adults with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC): good practice advice for primary care trust and local authority commissioners, which reminds commissioners of the need to plan for autistic services and provides best examples of how they may be implemented. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

Blood

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records  (a) his Department and  (b) NHS bodies hold on the (i) source of individual blood batches used in the NHS and (ii) destinations to which blood batches used in the NHS have been forwarded; and on how many occasions his Department has sought to trace the (A) origin and (B) destination of blood batches in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department holds some records on the source of individual donations of blood and blood components given by donors who subsequently developed variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, these records contain no information that identifies the patients concerned.
	The Department holds no records on the hospitals or other destinations to which individual units of blood components are sent, or on the number of occasions the Department sought information on the origin and destination of blood components.
	In England and North Wales, the collection, processing, testing and issue of blood products to hospitals is the responsibility of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
	In accordance with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations (2005), records kept by NHSBT uniquely identify each donor, each blood unit collected, and each component prepared, whatever its intended purpose. These records contain sufficient information to ensure each donation, unit and blood component can be identified and traced at each processing stage, and as far as the hospitals which receive the products. The time limit for retention of records is for a period of not less than 30 years.

Cardiovascular System: Children

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding is available for measures to reduce extreme vascular malformations in children in Gloucestershire;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts on the reduction of extreme vascular malformations in children.

Ann Keen: The majority of cases of congenital heart disease are isolated defects and not associated with any other disease. Many cases have no clear cause. However, the Department and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence have issued advice and guidance to help reduce known risk factors. This covers: vaccination against rubella; ensuring that diabetic women achieve good glycaemic control prior to conception and throughout the pregnancy; encouragement to women to seek the advice of their family doctors before conception if they are taking any medicine, as some prescription drugs increase the likelihood of congenital heart disease; and advice to avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
	Funding is a matter for the national health service locally.

CJD: Screening

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 756-7W, on CJD: screening, what the criteria are for validation of a test for variant Creuzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Dawn Primarolo: Any item of equipment for a variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease test kit must meet the essential safety requirements specified in the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive.
	The device must perform as intended by the manufacturer and meet criteria relating to sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility.

CJD: Screening

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rights family members of those who have died of variant Creuzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have in relation to the use of their relatives' blood samples for the purposes of  (a) research into and  (b) validation of a blood screening test for vCJD.

Dawn Primarolo: Such samples can only be used for the purposes for which consent was given. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.

CJD: Screening

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2009,  Official Report, column 757W, on blood donation screening, if he will make an assessment of the merits of giving access to blood samples of those who have died of variant Creuzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) to companies which have developed a blood screening test for vCJD.

Dawn Primarolo: A process, overseen by the independent OD Resource Centre Oversight Committee, is already in place to enable appropriate access to the small number of blood samples from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vGD) disease patients. Companies developing vCJD screening tests are already participating in this process.

Congenital Abnormalities: Compensation

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much compensation the Government has paid out to people who had birth defects caused by the side-effects of pharmaceutical treatment in the last 30 years.

Ann Keen: The Department's financial records indicate that no such compensation has been paid in the period since 2001-02.
	Information prior to this date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) evaluated to determine whether there is a relationship between access to emergency contraception and teenage sexually-transmitted infection rates; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not undertaken or evaluated any research on the relationship between access to emergency contraception and teenage sexually transmitted infection rates.

Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which schools are taking part in the project to allow girls to ask for emergency contraception by text message; on which basis each school was selected; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally. However, the Department supports innovative approaches to ensuring that young people have access to sexual health advice.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's consultant, Clouds Environmental Consultancy Ltd., is currently working with the Department and the Carbon Trust to produce a report recommending the appropriate scope for the full Carbon Management Programme. Once this is completed we intend to commence the full programme by early summer 2009.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department issues laptop computers to individuals conducting work on behalf of the Department based upon business need. No distinction is made between the allocation of such devices to Ministers, special advisers, civil servants or other staff working on behalf of the Department. Historical records of the allocation of laptops to specific individuals are not kept.
	Based upon current allocation we can state the following:
	Ministers, three laptops;
	Special advisers no laptops allocated currently; and
	Civil servants and others, working on behalf of the Department have 2,346 laptops.
	The costs of the specific laptops allocated to individuals are not held.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times  (a) he and  (b) each other Minister in his Department has visited his Department's offices at Quarry House, Leeds since June 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: Ministers of this Department have had a number of meetings with Leeds departmental staff in Leeds and by videoconference. The Department makes as much use as possible of technology in holding meetings between Ministers and staff based in Leeds to help reduce both travel costs and carbon emissions. In 2007, the Secretary of State for Health, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis) and the Minister of State my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, South (Dawn Primarolo) and met staff at an all-staff event at a conference venue in Leeds. In 2008, the Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Islesworth, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ann Keen), the Minister of State my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, South (Dawn Primarolo) and the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis) met staff at the next all-staff event in Leeds, which was also based at a conference venue. In 2009, Ministers attended the Leeds all-staff event by videoconference. The dates on which Ministers have had meetings within Quarry House itself are in the following table.
	
		
			  Date of visit  Minister 
			 15 August 2007 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health services (Ann Keen) 
			 20 September 2007 Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) 
			 6 March 2008 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Ara Darzi) 
			 28 August 2008 Secretary of State (Alan Johnson)

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its agencies (Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency and NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency) have not undertaken any steps to improve the thermal efficiency of our buildings in the last 12 months.
	We have been working with the Carbon Trust over the past two years to identify energy saving measures, and this has been reflected in an improvement in our performance on energy efficiency in 2007-08, compared with 2006-07. We have a number of further initiatives planned, which should improve these figures further in the coming year.
	On 12 December 2008, the Sustainable Development Commission published its latest annual Sustainable Development in Government report, which sets out Government's performance against these and other targets. The Department was ranked in fourth place across Government, with an overall mark of 87 per cent.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel was used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its Executive Agency NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) have used the following amounts:
	
		
			   Department  NHS PASA 
			  Electricity  (kWh)  (kWh) 
			 1999-2000 14,081,000 813,129 
			 2000-01 13,802,000 622,901 
			 2001-02 13,417,000 648,947 
			 2002-03 13,780,000 593,896 
			 2003-04 13,913,000 578,984 
			 2004-05 14,220,000 580,332 
			 2005-06 13,454,000 640,780 
			 2006-07 12,340,000 670,197 
			 2007-08 12,065,000 718,863 
		
	
	
		
			  Gas  (kWh)  (kWh) 
			 1999-2000 6,411,000 829,826 
			 2000-01 6,180,000 566,937 
			 2001-02 4,237,000 560,301 
			 2002-03 5,268,000 507,060 
			 2003-04 5,208,000 482,176 
			 2004-05 5,604,000 444,397 
			 2005-06 4,636,000 506,310 
			 2006-07 3,835,000 429,092 
			 2007-08 4,176,000 523,680 
		
	
	We do not have any records prior to 1999-2000.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are unable to provide this information as the data is not available from their landlord.
	These figures are based on actual usage of fuel over the period and differ slightly from the figures submitted as part of the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) reporting process, as some buildings were excluded from this exercise. SDIG figures are also weather corrected data.
	The information in this answer covers the Department's central administrative estate of Richmond House, Wellington House and Skipton House. The Department is a minor occupier in New Kings Beam House (HM Revenue and Customs) and Quarry House in Leeds (Department of Work and Pensions) and the data for these sites is not available to us. Reductions in 2005-06 and 2006-07 are due to the closure of two London buildings. Eileen House and Hannibal House.
	The data supplied for NHS PASA relates to energy used at their Reading, Chester and Sheffield sites.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In October 2008, an assessment of the Department's information and communications (ICT) infrastructure by the Information Services Division provided estimates of energy consumption and carbon emissions within the categories of information technology device listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Type of device  Annualised estimated energy consumption (kWh)  Estimated annual energy cost  ()  Annualised tonnes of CO 2  (includes the effect of Datecentre efficiency) 
			 Servers 1,329,892 138,511 1,350 
			 Desktops 1,609,503 166,423 864 
			 Laptops 300,835 31,106 162 
			 Printers 166,221 17,187 89 
			 Monitors 392,246 40,558 211 
			 
			 Total 3,795,451 392,785 2,676 
		
	
	There has been no survey of the energy and carbon emissions from the ICT estate prior to October 2008. It would incur disproportionate cost to identify the components of the infrastructure and assess energy consumption in the five years prior to the survey. A governance structure is being put into place to ensure that ongoing change in the ICT infrastructure is tracked against a carbon reduction roadmap to meet government targets.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy, the Department has only purchased personal computers, laptops and monitors that meet Energy Star performance criteria and EPEAT environmental criteria. The policy for procurement of these items includes specification of low energy processors and high efficiency power conversion units.
	A managed print service has been put in place to reduce the number of printers on the estate and to increase the efficiency of the printing service. This will reduce if not remove the need for new printers over the next two to three years.
	A policy is in place to redeploy existing suitable devices before procurement is approved and to extend the life of assets while they continue to meet minimum performance criteria.
	A green governance process is being established to ensure that any other new information and communications technology purchase is specified within a framework that ensures the performance of the device or service is optimised to reduce carbon emissions, that existing suitable equipment is redeployed before a new purchase is approved, and that virtualisation technology is used where possible in the solution definition.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department operates centralised information technology services and does not measure or deliver services by division. Average server capacity utilisation has not been monitored over the past five years and it would be at disproportionate cost to provide this information.
	As part of the Department's Greening information and communications technology (ICT) strategy and action plan, the Department's provider of ICT services under an outsource agreement has been commissioned to review current server utilisation and to cost opportunities for server optimisation. This report will be delivered in May 2009.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) printers and (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The majority of printers and multi function devices (MFDs) are located in open plan accommodation and are available for use by any group within reach of the device. Information is not held on numbers of devices per division. The figures provided represent the total numbers of devices in use across the estate.
	Historically, information has not been held on an annual basis of the numbers of printers and MFDs in use before 2007. In August 2007, an audit was undertaken in advance of the introduction of a new managed print service. The numbers were as follows:
	
		
			   Duplex  Non Duplex 
			 MFDs 116 12 
			 Printers 467 736 
		
	
	The numbers, as of January 2009, with the managed print service fully implemented are as follows:
	
		
			   Duplex  Non Duplex 
			 MFDs 216 0 
			 Printers 189 36 
		
	
	Two-sided printing is the default setting for all duplex enabled devices.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In the 2008-09 financial year, the Department procured:
	60 personal computers, 100 per cent. meeting EPEAT gold and Energy Star criteria;
	119 laptops, 100 per cent. meeting EPEAT silver and Energy Star criteria; and
	175 flat screen monitors, 100 per cent. meeting EPEAT silver and Energy Star criteria.
	All the products above listed as meeting Energy Star criteria are deemed to meet the Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard. There is no breakdown by division available as devices are procured in bulk and allocated on individual need for the duration of the requirement. It would incur disproportionate cost to identify allocation of new equipment by division.
	There were no purchases of individual printers, scanners and inkjet printers in the year as the Department procured a contract for a managed print service, deployed in 2007-08. The service replaced 1,500 individual printers with multifunctional devices and achieved significant carbon and financial savings.
	External power supplies are purchased with laptops only and meet the required criteria of the EPEAT and Energy Start Standards.

Departmental Internet

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) each of the agencies and public bodies for which his Department is responsible are taking to ensure the principles of digital inclusion are applied to information made available online by them.

Ann Keen: The Department takes the issue of digital inclusion seriously. Where digital services are offered to citizens, the Department is working with the agencies and with the national health service to ensure citizens are not disadvantaged due to access to relevant technology. The Department is participating in the preparation of the cross-government Digital Inclusion Action Plan and is active to ensure awareness across the system. The principal channel for tackling Digital Inclusion within health is through NHS Choices.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department do not hold detailed historic records of BlackBerry devices provided specifically to Ministers and special advisers. Information is held on the bills for the BlackBerry and other mobile devices but do not differentiate between the costs of different types of device.
	The purchase price of BlackBerry and mobile telephones varies dependant on the purchase price and the time of procurement and any negotiated deals or discounts available at the time. The quarterly bills comprise BlackBerry and mobile telephone phone contract costs and calls, calls made from the Departments offices to our mobile telephones and other data charges for devices such as those to allow broadband access for laptops. Therefore, providing the information in the form requested in the question would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department issues mobile telephones and BlackBerry devices to individuals based upon business need. No distinction is made between the allocation of such devices to Ministers, special advisers, civil servants or other staff working on behalf of the Department. Historical records of the allocation to specific individuals are not kept.
	From our current records we can state that the following are in use:
	 Ministers
	Three BlackBerry devices;
	Three mobile telephones.
	 Special a dvisers
	Two BlackBerry devices;
	One mobile telephone.
	 Civil Servants and others, working on behalf of the Department
	1,092 BlackBerry devices;
	1,363 mobile telephones.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the amounts of capital resources so far allocated to strategic health authorities, NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2008-09 have been placed in the Library.
	Allocations for 2009-10 are based on financial plan returns from PCTs, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts; the returns from the trust sector are still incomplete, meaning that comprehensive estimates are not yet available. The process is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks and information on allocations is then available on a quarterly basis. Allocations for 2010-11 are also in the process of being finalised.
	The Government have not set Departments' capital departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (public sector net investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Rail Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff may claim for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's staff expenses policy makes no specific provision for members of staff to travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class. The following extract from the staff expenses guide covers policy in this area.
	For rail travel, staff in pay band Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and above may travel first class without separate approval. Staff below SEO may travel first class with permission from their line manager for specific business need. However, all staff should consider travelling standard class unless they have a special need related to their work such as the need for concentrated work prior to a meeting or privacy afforded by more spacious accommodation in first class. Very rarely should it be necessary to travel first class on short journeys, where the journey time is 30 minutes or less.
	All staff are encouraged to book rail tickets in advance in order to reserve seats and to take advantage of any available discounted fares.

Departmental Research

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1360W, on departmental publications, how many articles appearing in healthcare publications and journals in the last two years have been funded in whole and in part by  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies.

Ben Bradshaw: 21 advertorials (paid-for articles) in health care publications and journals have been funded in whole or in part by the Department's communications directorate in the last two years.
	To identify this information against a wider definition would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Research

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1360W, on departmental publications, how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies spent on articles appearing in healthcare publications and journals in the last two years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's communications directorate has spent 59,000 excluding VAT on advertorials (paid-for articles) in health care publications and journals in the last two years.
	To identify this information against a wider definition would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Ben Bradshaw: Departmental awaydays are held at buildings other than those on the Department's estate when this is justified by business need.
	The Department's 'Code of Business Conduct', which all staff must comply with, makes it clear that departmental officials should avoid providing hospitality at non-business locations unless there is a clear need to do so. The code also stresses that any hospitality provided should be modest and necessary for the effective discharge of the Department's business.

Doctors: Working Hours

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of a national audit to assess the adequacy of arrangements made by hospital trusts to fill NHS doctor rotas; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Strategic health authorities are assessing the adequacy of arrangements made by hospital trusts to fill national health service doctor rotas as part of their quality assurance monitoring for the implementation of the European Working Time Directive.
	The UK Government's assessment of the national position was submitted to the European Commission at the end of January 2009.
	This information is contained in the notification to the European Commission which has been placed in the Library.

Domestic Visits

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times each of the Ministers in his Department visited  (a) a hospital,  (b) a dental practice,  (c) an accident and emergency department,  (d) a GP practice,  (e) an ambulance service trust and  (f) an independent sector treatment centre in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of their official duties, departmental Ministers visit a variety of hospitals, dental practices, accident and emergency departments, general practitioner (GP) practices, ambulance service trusts and independent sector treatment centres. The following visits occurred during the period 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009.
	Visits by each Minister in the last 12 months were:
	
		
			  Alan Johnson 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 23 
			 A dental practice 3 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 10 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Lord Darzi 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 13 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 4 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Ben Bradshaw 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 10 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 9 
			 An ambulance service 1 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Ann Keen 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 10 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 0 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Dawn Primarolo 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 4 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 0 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Ivan Lewis (until October 2008) 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 11 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 0 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Phil Hope (from October 2008 onwards) 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits from 18 February 2008 to 20 February 2009 
			 Hospital 4 
			 A dental practice 0 
			 An accident and emergency department 0 
			 A GP practice 0 
			 An ambulance service 0 
			 An independent sector treatment centre 0

General Practitioners: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners' premises were above all minimum standards set by his Department in each primary care trust area at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what percentage in each primary care trust area did not meet minimum standards through not complying with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Ben Bradshaw: Details of the minimum standards for general practitioner practice premises are set out in Schedule 1 of The National Health Service (General Medical Services - Premises Costs) (England) Directions 2004, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Compliance with these standards is a matter for local primary care trusts (PCT) and each make their own arrangements for undertaking this assessment.
	The most recent relevant data collected centrally was a snapshot return as at 31 March 2005 which was provided by PCTs. It has not been collected centrally since then. A copy was placed in the Library on 12 May 2006. The data is now four years out of date and does not reflect the investment in primary care premises that has taken place in the intervening period.
	New premises that fully satisfy minimum standards are being provided under the NHS Local Finance Investment Trust (NHS LIFT) initiative. Over 1.5 billion in private sector capital has already been injected into GP premises and community facilities across the country with 48 NHS LIFT schemes established and another one in procurement. This has, to date, delivered 205 new buildings open to patients with another 25 under construction. Private sector capital has also been invested by third party developers who specialise in the primary care estate.
	The NHS ProCure21 initiative has also provided premises that fully satisfy minimum standards. Of a total of 3.5 billion invested through that investment programme, over 400 million has been invested in primary care and community facilities across England. Of that amount, 36 projects with a value of 143 million have been completed and 33 projects with a value of 260 million are currently in the earlier stages of development.

General Practitioners: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner surgeries in Tamworth constituency have been  (a) refurbished and  (b) rebuilt in each of the last 11 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The only data collected centrally relates to a target in the Department's NHS Plan published on 1 July 2000. The target was to substantially refurbish or replace up to 3,000 family doctors' premises by 2004. This national target was achieved with a total of 2,848 by December 2004.
	The data were not collected at constituency level but by strategic health authority (SHA); and also by primary care trust (PCT) from 2002-03. The PCT for Tamworth between 2000 and 2004 was Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT, for which three premises were recorded as refurbished or replaced. However, as the data for this exercise was only collected on a PCT level from 2002-03, other premises may have been refurbished or replaced before this date. The total number of premises refurbished or replaced in the former Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA between 2000 and 2004 was 79.

Health Professions: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benchmark cost his Department uses for the training of a  (a) midwife,  (b) health visitor and  (c) nurse.

Ann Keen: The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma nursing students in the financial year 2008-09 was 7,273 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was 7,746.
	The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma midwifery students in the financial year 2008-09 was 8,363 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was 8,907.
	There is no current benchmark cost for a health visitor as these are post-registration courses and the benchmark prices only apply to pre-registration courses.

Health Professions: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost of  (a) tuition,  (b) bursary,  (c) salary support and  (d) other training costs for a (i) doctor, (ii) nurse, (iii) midwife and (iv) health visitor between entry onto a degree or diploma course and full registration in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The average cost of tuition, bursary, salary support and other training costs for a doctor, nurse and midwife between entry onto a degree or diploma course and full registration are shown in the following table. Information for health visitors is not held centrally.
	
		
			   
			  Course  Level of qualification  NHS bursary  Tuition fees( 1)  Salary support( 2)  Other training costs( 3) 
			 Medicine Degree 1,865 60,283 30,000 135,000 
			 Nursing Degree 12,309 22,530   
			 Nursing Diploma 19,467 22,530 44,325  
			 Midwifery Degree 15,555 25,905   
			 Midwifery Diploma 21,492 25,905 44,325  
			 (1) For students studying medicine, for whom there is currently no commissioning strategic health authority, a students liability of 1,255 (standard rate) is met by the NHS Student Bursary Unit. All costs have been based on a five-year course and include the university tuition costs met by the Higher Funding Council for England. (2) Salary support for nurses and midwives is an alternative to a bursary and applies only to seconded trainees from trusts. (3) For doctors in training the other training costs relate to payments of Service Increment for Teaching paid to the trusts to support infrastructure costs and the costs of the doctors training the students. Costs of student loans provided by the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills have been excluded.  Sources: NHS Student Bursaries Unit database 2007-08, Multi Professional Education and Training Budget 2007-08 and 2008-09, Higher Education Funding Council for England 2007-08

Health Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) NHS hospitals,  (b) other NHS organisations,  (c) social care organisations,  (d) hospices and  (e) private hospitals he and his Ministers have visited since their appointments; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration of each visit was.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Health Services

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding his Department has allocated for the treatment and care of people diagnosed with  (a) meningitis,  (b) dementia and  (c) osteoporosis in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated for the treatment and care of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The Department does not allocate funding for specific illnesses.
	Primary care trust (PCT) allocations provide funding to PCTs to treat and support people with these conditions. PCTs prioritise their spending based upon local need for services among their populace.

Health Services

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting of  (a) (i) the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, (ii) the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and (iii) North Staffordshire NHS Trust since 1 January 2003 and the Healthcare Commission since its inception.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to approach the organisations listed directly, as they may publish or be able to provide the information requested. There is no such national health service (NHS) organisation as North Staffordshire NHS Trust. However, there is the University Hospital of North Stafford NHS Trust or North Stafford NHS Primary Care Trust. The Healthcare Commission (HCC) ceased to exist on 31 March 2009 and was replaced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is the new health and adult social care regulator for England. CQC may be approached to provide historical HCC documents.
	As stated in the publication 'Governing the NHSa guide for Boards', which has been placed in the Library, there is an obligation on the boards of strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts to conduct themselves and their business in an open and transparent way that commands public confidence. As stated in 'The NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance', published by  Monitor the independent regular of NHS foundation trusts (FT), an FT's board of directors should follow a policy of openness and transparency in its proceedings and decision making unless this conflicts with a need to protect the wider interests of the public or the NHS foundation trust.

Health Services: Disabled

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department incurred in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in respect of services for disabled people in each year since 2005.

Phil Hope: Data on local authority expenditure on social care services is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. Data is not collected centrally at constituency level.
	A table showing gross current expenditure by local authorities broken down by primary client group for 2004-05 to 2007-08 has been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Greater London

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 898W, on health services: Greater London, what assessment he has made of the effects on the revenue of primary care trusts in  (a) Enfield and  (b) London in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11 of changes to the formula used to determine revenue allocations to such trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The 2009-10 and 2010-11 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) were made on the basis of a new funding formula, recommended by the independent advisory committee on resource allocation.
	The funding formula determines PCT target allocations. Actual allocations to PCTs depend also on the pace of change policyhow additional funding is distributed to move PCTs towards their target allocations. It is therefore not possible to say what the allocations would have been in 2009-10 and 2010-11 if the previous funding formula had still applied.
	The Department is moving all PCTs towards their target allocations as quickly as possible, but this must be balanced with the need to ensure that all PCTs are appropriately supported with stable funding that both supports existing commitments and allows long-term planning, as well as recognising the unavoidable cost pressures that all PCTs face.
	Enfield PCT moved from being 0.1 per cent. above target under the previous funding formula at the close of 2008-09 to opening 2009-10 under the new formula at 2.3 per cent. above target. This means that under the 2009-10 and 2010-11 pace of change policy, Enfield PCT received a 10.6 per cent. average increase in funding over the two years, equivalent to a cumulative cash increase of 44.1 million. The average increase for London PCTs over the two years is 10.7 per cent.
	The 2009-10 and 2010-11 allocations made to the PCTs in the London strategic health authority and the difference between their actual and target allocations (the distance from target) are listed in the following table.
	
		
			   Distance from target percentage 
			  PCT name  2009-10 allocation 000  2010-11 allocation 000  Two year increase 000  Two year increase percentage  2008-09 closing  2009-10 opening  2010-11 closing 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 301,080 316,599 30,789 10.77 -3.5 0.7 1.3 
			 Barnet PCT 528,745 555,931 53,442 10.64 6.9 7.9 6.7 
			 Bexley Care Trust 321,350 337,896 32,552 10.66 0.3 1.5 1.4 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 501,538 527,325 50,692 10.64 4.8 8.3 7.7 
			 Bromley PCT 466,265 490,239 47,126 10.64 3.2 8.7 8.6 
			 Camden PCT 453,989 477,331 45,886 10.64 5.6 14.2 12.4 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 472,222 496,502 47,729 10.64 -3.5 6.6 6.6 
			 Croydon PCT 526,752 553,836 53,240 10.64 1.9 5.2 5.1 
			 Ealing PCT 545,775 573,837 55,163 10.64 6.7 8.2 8.0 
			 Enfield PCT 436,718 459,173 44,140 10.64 0.1 2.3 2.1 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 424,160 445,968 42,871 10.64 0.7 4.2 4.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 326,448 343,232 32,995 10.64 6.0 16.4 16.2 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 424,321 446,139 42,887 10.64 0.5 2.3 2.1 
			 Harrow PCT 313,370 329,483 31,673 10.64 7.2 7.8 7.4 
			 Havering PCT 376,447 396,316 39,278 11.00 0.2 0.2 0.5 
			 Hillingdon PCT 379,496 399,009 38,357 10.64 3.4 6.6 6.4 
			 Hounslow PCT 362,964 381,627 36,686 10.64 4.7 5.2 5.1 
			 Islington PCT 412,126 433,316 41,655 10.64 8.4 12.3 11.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 337,424 354,773 34,104 10.64 4.9 22.1 20.4 
			 Kingston PCT 249,459 262,286 25,213 10.64 9.2 14.2 13.5 
			 Lambeth PCT 580,017 609,840 58,624 10.64 12.6 14.9 14.8 
			 Lewisham PCT 484,939 509,873 49,014 10.64 11.4 12.1 12.0 
			 Newham PCT 510,371 536,897 51,869 10.69 -3.2 2.9 0.9 
			 Redbridge PCT 365,515 385,618 39,159 11.30 0.6 -1.4 -1.1 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 267,442 281,193 27,031 10.64 13.0 23.8 23.4 
			 Southwark PCT 492,748 518,084 49,803 10.64 3.2 6.4 5.7 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 583,188 613,174 58,944 10.64 4.6 10.0 9.7 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 447,591 470,605 45,239 10.64 -3.5 5.3 3.4 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 395,510 415,846 39,977 10.64 0.8 1.9 2.2 
			 Wandsworth PCT 488,965 514,106 49,421 10.64 11.9 14.8 14.4 
			 Westminster PCT 447,789 470,813 45,259 10.64 11.6 22.7 20.8 
			 
			 London SHA 13,224,724 13,906,867 1,340,815 10.7
			 England 80,030,703 84,432,392 8,573,905 11.30

Health Services: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on changes in acute care in Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding area following the removal of acute services from Hemel Hempstead hospital.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the national health service, locally as they have responsibility for ensuring that the services they provide meet the needs of the communities that they serve.

Health Services: Non-profit-Making Associations

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social enterprises which provide one or more NHS healthcare service have been established in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: The Department does not hold information on how many social enterprises that provide one or more national health service healthcare services have been established in each of the last three years.

Hospital Beds: Stoke on Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial penalties have been imposed on Stoke-on-Trent City Council as a result of delayed discharges from hospitals in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: The information is not collected centrally.

Hospitals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what hospitals each Minister in his Department has visited since July 2007; and what the date of each visit was.

Ben Bradshaw: Information, which covers the dates 1 July 2007 to 23 March 2009, has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rubs in countering  (a) Clostridium difficile and  (b) other healthcare-associated infections.

Ann Keen: The Purchasing and Supply Chain undertook an assessment of the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rubs in 2004 prior to awarding their national contract. All products supplied under the NHS contract are effective for use at the point of care in most situations. However, guidance makes it clear that liquid soap and water should be used during  Clostridium difficile outbreaks as hand rubs will not eradicate  Clostridium difficile spores.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training the NHS has provided to  (a) surgeons,  (b) doctors,  (c) nurses and  (d) other healthcare professionals on best practice in the prevention, detection and treatment of (i) Clostridium difficile and (ii) other healthcare-related infections.

Ann Keen: Under The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for the NHS on the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections and related guidance, there is an obligation for national health service, bodies to ensure that all staff are suitably educated in the prevention and control of healthcare associated Infections. A copy of this code of practice has been placed in the Library.
	Training is a local decision, and we do not collect the information requested. However, BMJ Learning, in association with the Department, produced an e-learning module to learn practical ways to avoid an outbreak of  Clostridium difficile. This is available at
	www.bmjlearning.com/cdifficile

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on research into  (a) vaccines against,  (b) treatments for and  (c) other aspects of Clostridium difficile in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The Department is not directly funding research to develop vaccines for Clostridium difficile infections. However, the Health Protection Agency is working with Acambis, a UK based company, through the Department's funded National Vaccine Evaluation Consortium to support clinical trials of a vaccine against Clostridium difficile.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body that receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	MRC spend on research into health care associated infections, including Clostridium difficile, over the last five years is shown as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure ( million) 
			 2003-04 0.8 
			 2004-05 1.7 
			 2005-06 2 
			 2006-07 2.5 
			 2007-08 3.7 
		
	
	Clostridium difficile projects currently being funded by the MRC include:
	Understanding the relationship between bacteriophages and pathogenicity in the gut pathogen Clostridium difficile, led by Dr. M Clokie at the university of Leicester (awarded 350,000);
	Structural and functional characterisation of cell wall proteins of Clostridium difficile, led by Professor R Titball at Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine (awarded 1.4 million);
	The I-STRAT trial: Do Isolation Strategies reduce endemic levels of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea, led by Dr. S Stone at University College London (awarded 420,000); and
	Understanding the molecular basis of virulence in Clostridium difficile, led by Professor N Minton at the university of Nottingham (awarded 1.6 million).
	The Department's policy research programme is currently supporting a research project on the environmental survival and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens (including Clostridium difficile) in hospitals. Expenditure on the project in 2007-08 was 15,000.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on campaigns to raise public awareness of  (a) Clostridium difficile and  (b) other healthcare-associated infections in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The National Patient Safety Agency has run the 'Cleanyourhands' campaign focussed on hand hygiene in hospitals since 2004, broadening its focus in 2008 to primary care ambulance and mental health trusts. Currently over 90 per cent. of national health service trusts are signed up to the campaign. In addition, the Department has run a campaign on antibiotic awareness and participated in European antibiotic awareness days. The correct use of antibiotics and hand hygiene represent two important areas in tackling Clostridium difficile and other health care associated infections.
	We have not run any specific campaigns to raise public awareness of Clostridium difficile or other health care associated infections in the last five calendar years.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available to NHS patients and their families on the  (a) prevention and  (b) detection of (i) Clostridium difficile and (ii) other healthcare-associated infections.

Ann Keen: The national health service, in order to meet its legal requirements under 'The Code of Practice of the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections' (HCAI) must provide suitable and sufficient information on HCAI to the patient, the public and other service providers when patients move to the care of another health care or social care provider.
	NHS trusts will provide this information locally and we do not hold details centrally.

Human Tissue Authority: Fees and Charges

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the licence fee structure of the Human Tissue Authority effects  (a) full recovery and  (b) more than full recovery of the costs of granting a licence.

Ben Bradshaw: The licence fee structure of the Human Tissue Authority covers the full cost of licensing only. This includes the evaluation of the licence application to assess the level of compliance and risk, the provision of advice and guidance, the management of conditions and variations in respect of each licence (of which there are 800), and site visit inspections.

Human Tissue Authority: Fees and Charges

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the guidelines for including acellular material under the licence fee structure of the Human Tissue Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has recently issued a position statement on regulating acellular material, which is available on its website at: www.hta.gov.uk
	The cost of regulating acellular material is the same as for its cellular equivalents. Licensed establishments will be subject to the fee structure recently published by the HTA on its website.

Influenza

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population was inoculated against influenza in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09.

Dawn Primarolo: The seasonal influenza programme is a targeted vaccination campaign. The Department recommends that all people aged 65 and over and people aged under 65 years who are in clinical at-risk groups receive the annual influenza vaccine. The uptake information for England is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Uptake 2006-07  Uptake 2007-08  Uptake 2008-09 
			 Influenza vaccine uptake in people aged 65 and over 74.0 73.5 74.1 
			 Influenza vaccine uptake in people aged under 65 at-risk 43 45 47.1 
		
	
	Information for each strategic health authority and primary care trust is published on the website:
	www.immunisation.nhs.uk
	This information covers those who received the vaccine as part of the national health service influenza programme. It does not cover those who receive the vaccine privately.

Learning Disability

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with a learning disability are employed by  (a) his Department and  (b) the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department do not currently hold figures for the number of people with learning disabilities employed in its workforce. This information will start to be collected later this year when 'learning disability' will be introduced as a workforce monitoring category.
	The Department do not keep the figures for the number of people with learning disabilities employed in the national health service. That information is not collected centrally.
	The New Opportunities White Paper published in January commits the civil service to producing action plans to employ more people with learning disabilities and from the other groups covered by public service agreement 16 about socially excluded adults (PSA 16). The Cabinet Office is working with Government Departments, including the Department, to help them develop their action based on recognised good practice.

Life Expectancy

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to adopt to ensure that local authorities in the Spearhead Group considered not to be on track to reach the 2010 target of reducing the gap in life expectancy compared with the population as a whole by 10 per cent. are able to meet their target.

Ben Bradshaw: Health inequalities are a key priority for the national health service as set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2009-10 and all primary care trusts (PCTs) are required to have plans that add up to a narrowing of the life expectancy gap. Incentives for the NHS and local authorities have been aligned with the same health inequalities indicators in both the NHS Operating Framework 2009-10 and the New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators. PCT performance against health inequalities plan is managed through strategic health authorities.
	The Department is working to provide local partners with the support and tools they need to tackle health inequalities effectively and meet the 2010 National Target. This includes establishing a range of national support teams (NSTs) with an inequalities focus, providing tailored, intensive, assistance to areas that face the biggest challenges in delivering public health-related Public Service Agreement targets. The NSTs which have a particular role in supporting the inequalities targets are:
	Health Inequalities NST;
	Infant Mortality NST;
	Tobacco Control NST; and
	Teenage Pregnancy NST.
	The NST for health inequalities, has been expanded and will have offered to visit all Spearheads by summer 2009.
	In addition, the Department is funding the Improvement Foundation to deliver a Healthy Communities Collaborative programme to promote earlier presentations of cardiovascular disease and cancer symptoms in Spearhead areas. In addition, the Department has continued or expanded support for communities to tackle inequalities such as the Improvement and Development Agency's Healthy Communities and Communities for Health programmes.
	A range of important tools has been developed to support target delivery in local areas, including:
	Health Inequalities Intervention Tool;
	Health Poverty Index;
	Local authority 'Health Profiles'; and
	Health Equity Audit.

Life Expectancy

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the causes of excess deaths within the Spearhead Group of local authorities considered off track from reaching their 2010 target of reducing the gap in life expectancy compared with the population as a whole by 10 per cent.

Phil Hope: National level analysis of the life expectancy gap by the Department shows circulatory disease, cancer and respiratory disease account for around two thirds of the gap in men and women. Other drivers of the gap are digestive diseases, external causes of injury and poisoning, infections and parasitic diseases and deaths under 28 days. Further information is contained in Tackling Health Inequalities: 2005-07 Policy and Data Update for the 2010 National Target, which has already been placed in the Library.
	The relative contribution of specific causes varies from one Spearhead to another. The Health Inequalities Intervention Tool for Spearhead Areas, jointly developed by the Association of Public Health Observatories and the Department provides a breakdown of the causes of the life expectancy gap by disease type and age in each Spearhead local authority.

Malnutrition: Death

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were caused by malnutrition among those in each age group over 65 years in each region in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 April 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were caused by malnutrition among those in each age group over 65 years in each region in the last 10 years. (267440)
	The attached table provides the numbers of deaths where malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, by age group for persons aged over 65 years, for each government office region in England, for the years 1998 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Deaths from malnutrition and effects of hunger( 1)  persons aged over 65 years by age group, government office regions in England( 2)  1998-2007( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Government office region  Year  66-70  71-75  76-80  81-85  Over 85 
			 North East 1998 2 1 0 3 6 
			  1999 1 2 3 3 5 
			  2000 4 6 1 5 4 
			  2001 2 3 5 1 8 
			  2002 1 3 8 1 5 
			  2003 1 1 1 4 6 
			  2004 2 0 3 4 1 
			  2005 1 1 3 2 4 
			  2006 1 4 2 6 6 
			  2007 2 1 4 3 2 
			
			 North West 1998 4 2 3 8 9 
			  1999 6 6 4 4 6 
			  2000 4 5 3 2 8 
			  2001 2 0 5 7 6 
			  2002 2 3 3 8 8 
			  2003 3 7 5 3 7 
			  2004 4 3 10 8 7 
			  2005 1 8 5 7 5 
			  2006 2 0 5 6 6 
			  2007 2 2 11 5 10 
			
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 1998 3 1 4 7 7 
			  1999 4 3 1 7 4 
			  2000 0 2 3 3 6 
			  2001 2 4 2 3 4 
			  2002 3 4 3 0 5 
			  2003 3 3 4 6 8 
			  2004 3 2 4 0 4 
			  2005 1 3 1 2 4 
			  2006 3 2 1 3 6 
			  2007 2 2 6 4 4 
			
			 East Midlands 1998 2 4 7 8 8 
			  1999 3 2 2 7 8 
			  2000 3 3 6 4 8 
			  2001 1 4 2 3 4 
			  2002 3 3 2 6 1 
			  2003 1 2 4 0 7 
			  2004 4 3 3 4 4 
			  2005 3 4 4 6 6 
			  2006 2 2 8 4 7 
			  2007 7 2 2 3 6 
			
			 West Midlands 1998 3 8 6 5 10 
			  1999 2 8 6 11 18 
			  2000 6 6 12 4 8 
			  2001 4 2 7 3 8 
			  2002 3 4 5 10 12 
			  2003 2 4 5 7 7 
			  2004 1 5 12 7 10 
			  2005 4 2 1 7 3 
			  2006 2 11 7 4 4 
			  2007 2 3 7 6 7 
			
			 East of England 1998 3 2 3 5 7 
			  1999 3 6 2 7 10 
			  2000 2 1 3 5 9 
			  2001 1 3 10 4 6 
			  2002 3 5 3 8 8 
			  2003 0 2 1 5 2 
			  2004 3 1 2 3 6 
			  2005 1 4 4 9 15 
			  2006 4 5 3 3 7 
			  2007 1 2 5 6 5 
			
			 London 1998 1 6 7 6 7 
			  1999 4 4 7 10 9 
			  2000 2 1 6 4 10 
			  2001 0 0 10 1 6 
			  2002 2 1 7 4 4 
			  2003 4 1 4 3 5 
			  2004 2 2 1 2 3 
			  2005 1 2 1 2 5 
			  2006 6 2 1 3 6 
			  2007 1 2 3 2 7 
			
			 South East 1998 2 7 4 6 8 
			  1999 2 9. 5 7 12 
			  2000 5 2 11 4 10 
			  2001 1 2 6 5 7 
			  2002 2 3 3 6 13 
			  2003 2 2 7 4 8 
			  2004 3 3 4 7 11 
			  2005 5 4 6 8 9 
			  2006 4 8 9 10 16 
			  2007 3 4 4 9 10 
			
			 South West 1998 4 3 11 5 21 
			  1999 5 2 8 6 4 
			  2000 5 4 8 5 13 
			  2001 3 2 4 3 8 
			  2002 1 3 5 4 7 
			  2003 1 3 4 5 4 
			  2004 3 2 5 8 13 
			  2005 3 3 5 6 5 
			  2006 4 3 7 5 10 
			  2007 1 3 7 4 8 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 260-269 (malnutrition) and E904.1 (effects of hunger) for the years 1998 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger) for 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where one of these causes was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. The introduction of fCD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from each cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Measles: Vaccination

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children up to the age of six years old were inoculated against measles in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09; and how many such inoculations were for measles only.

Dawn Primarolo: Routine childhood immunisation against measles is provided by the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mrs. Miller) on 27 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1173-74W, for information about 2006-07 and 2007-08. Information for MMR vaccine uptake for the year 2008-09 is not yet available.
	Data on the use of single vaccines are not collected. As a result the proportion of children fully or partially protected against measles may be slightly higher than that identified by the MMR vaccine uptake data collection.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 239W, on NHS: data protection, which companies have had access to NHS patient information in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the Department has published clear rules and standards of practice on the management of patient information. These apply both to staff who work within, and those who work under contract to, national health service bodies.

Meningitis

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with meningitis in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion resulted in death.

Dawn Primarolo: Meningitis is a notifiable disease and the Health Protection Agency collects notification data for each local authority in England. Information is not available for the hon. Member's constituency. The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Notifications  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 England 1,916 2,251 2,431 1,449 1,387 1,186 1,271 1,406 1,199 1,123 
			 North East 76 95 104 72 51 50 65 80 43 32 
			 Tees Valley 22 13 18 13 11 13 29 38 10 1 
			 Middlesbrough Borough Council (BC) 6 5 1 1  1 9 9 3  
			 Redcar and Cleveland BC 2  3 1 4 6 10 9 1  
			  Notes: 1. Data for 2008 is provisional. 2. Information is given for North East government office region. 3. Tees Valley is not a single administrative or health area. It is an area which comprises the five unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. 
		
	
	Information about registered causes of death is collected separately and is not linked to notification data by year. The available information is given in the following table, including information for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.
	
		
			  Deaths  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 England 392 368 387 363 280 331 244 260 205 220 
			 North East 27 22 24 17 11 14 14 14 5 10 
			 Tees Valley 5 9 2 7 1 4 7 3 1 4 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Cause of death selected using the international classification of diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) codes 036, 047, 320 and 322 for 1997 to 2000 and tenth revision (ICD-10) codes A39, A87 and G00-G03 for 2001 onwards. 2. Based on parliamentary constituency and local authority boundaries as of 2009. 3. Information is given for North East government office region. 4. Tees Valley is not a single administrative or health area. It is an area which comprises the five unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. 5. Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. Information for 2008 is not yet available.

Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies, other than individual mental health NHS trusts, are responsible for ensuring that patients committed to  (a) low security,  (b) medium security and  (c) high security mental health hospitals and required to reside there for treatment do not abscond.

Phil Hope: No other body is responsible for ensuring that patients do not abscond from secure services than the secure services provider. Low and medium secure services are provided by the national health service and independent sector voluntary and private sector organisations. The three high secure hospitals in England are operated by the NHS.

Mental Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide older people with improved mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department's Service Development Guide 'Everybody's Business', published in 2005, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, made clear how mental health services for older people should be commissioned and set up. A subsequent review of the Care Programme Approach (2008) contains specific guidance in relation to, and is inclusive of older people with mental health needs. A copy has been placed in the Library. As part of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), guidance for commissioners was issued in November 2008 and in January 2009, a positive practice guide for older people. Both sets of guidance make clear that appropriately designed talking therapies can also benefit older people. Copies have been placed in the Library.
	In addition, the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy published on 3 February 2009, will be a lever for further improvements in access to care and support for the mental health needs of older people, not only those dementia with dementia. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The Mental Health National Service Framework (NSF), which ends this year, was designed with working-age adults in mind. The successor strategy 'New Horizons in Mental Health' will be age-inclusive. Consultation on the new strategy is expected in the summer.

Mental Health Services

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 368-69W, on assertive outreach teams, what the reasons are for the reduction in the number of assertive outreach teams in  (a) England and  (b) the South West Strategic Health Authority area since January 2006;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on the provision of assertive outreach teams in  (a) England,  (b) the South West and  (c) Devon in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The public service agreement target for assertive outreach teams was to have 220 teams by December 2003, and was met. The reduction in team numbers since 2006 has been minimal at both national and strategic health authority (SHA) level. Nationally, the number of teams was 252 in 2006 and 249 in 2008. The corresponding figures for South West SHA were 29 in 2006 and 28 in 2008. Primary care trusts are responsible for ensuring that the number of teams commissioned meets local need.
	The information on local services is not collected centrally in the format requested. However, the data in the following table shows the total investment for England and the South West region for assertive outreach teams from 2001-02 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Assertive outreach teams, total cash investment from 2001-02 to 2007-08 
			   England ( million)  South West region () 
			 2001-02 48.4 5,397 
			 2002-03 62.2 5,782 
			 2003-04 78.2 7,442 
			 2004-05 95.2 8,499 
			 2005-06 101.4 8,759 
			 2006-07 108.5 10,448 
			 2007-08 124.9 10,440 
			  Source: Mental Health Strategies.

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1762-4W, on mental health services: nurses, what the reason is for the reduction in the number of registered mental health nurses in the Devon Partnership NHS Trust since 30 September 2006.

Phil Hope: Work force planning is a matter for local determination as local work force planners are best placed to assess the health care needs of their local population. The Department continues to ensure the frameworks are in place to enable effective local work force planning.

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on the provision of registered mental health nurses in  (a) England, (b) the South West and  (c) Devon in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The information is not held centrally.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place for  (a) supervision and  (b) monitoring of implementation of the recommendations of the Healthcare Commission report on Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust which relate to (i) that trust and (ii) other parts of the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: It is the responsibility of the board of the trust, with the new leadership in place, to ensure it fully implements the recommendations made within the Healthcare Commission's (HC) report. The trust is producing an action plan to implement the recommendations that it will agree with Care Quality Commission (CQC). Monitor, the foundation trust (FT) regulator, will hold the trust to account for delivery of the action plan. CQC, which replaced the HC on 1 April 2009, has informed us that they plan to take stock with the trust and Monitor at three months and perform a follow up review in approximately six months time to provide the necessary assurance that all the recommendations in the HC's report have been satisfactorily addressed.
	David Nicholson, chief executive of the national health service, wrote to all NHS organisations on 18 March 2009 urging NHS leaders to ensure that the recommendations set out in the report are fully understood by boards and that any local actions necessary are implemented with immediate effect. In addition, Monitor has written to all FTs making clear the expectation that their boards should consider the contents and recommendations of the HC report and implement any actions to ensure they do not breach their terms of authorisation. In his letter, the chief executive made clear that where senior NHS management and boards fail to act in the light of the HC recommendations to assure the ongoing quality and safety of the care they provide, they must and will be held accountable.
	In addition, Professor Sir George Alberti is undertaking a rapid review at Stafford of the procedures for emergency admissions to ensure the trust is providing the best service it can to patients, building on the progress already made in implementing the recommendations of the HC. Dr. David Colin-Thom is undertaking a rapid local review to identify what the people who commission NHS services and manage the performance of these services across England can learn from this case. The new National Quality Board (NQB) has been asked to look at how we can ensure that any early signs that something is going wrong with patient care are picked up immediately, that the right organisations are alerted, and that action is taken quickly. (The NQB is comprised of representatives from the Royal Colleges, patient groups, regulatory bodies and clinical experts, and has been set up to look at how organisations work together to improve the quality of patient care and patient experience.) Any recommendations arising from these reviews will be shared with the wider NHS for action as necessary.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust: Managers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department  (a) was informed in advance of and  (b) agreed to the suspension of the Chief Executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The suspension of the chief executive is entirely a matter for the NHS foundation trust and its chairman.

Midwives: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of midwives in service qualified by completing a midwifery  (a) degree and  (b) short programme before registration.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Multiple Sclerosis: Research

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on a possible link between vitamin D and a common genetic variant which lowers the risk of developing multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has made no assessment of evidence on a possible link between vitamin D and a common genetic variant which lowers the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.
	Current Government policy recommends a dietary supplementation of vitamin D in certain groups including all pregnant and breastfeeding women, children from six months up to the age of five years and people aged over 65 years or housebound.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) median and  (b) mean length of time a patient has waited for (i) an outpatient and (ii) an inpatient appointment in the (A) orthopaedic and (B) rheumatology specialty since 1997, as measured by the (1) Korner and (2) Hospital Episodes Statistics databases, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ben Bradshaw: The median and mean time a patient waited for an out-patient and in-patient appointment for orthopaedics and rheumatology since 2002, when strategic health authorities were established, as measured by Korner and Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) are available in the document 'Trauma  Orthopaedics and RheumatologyMedian and Mean 2002 to January 2009', which has been placed in the Library.
	The median referral to treatment time waited of patients who were admitted for treatment has come down from 18.8 weeks in March 2007 to 8.6 weeks in January 2009. Median referral to treatment time waited for non-admitted patients was 4.6 weeks in January 2009, compared to 7.4 weeks in August 2007.
	The median referral to treatment time waited of trauma and orthopaedic patients admitted for treatment has come down from 29.5 weeks in March 2007 to 12.6 weeks in January 2009. Median referral to treatment time waited for non-admitted trauma and orthopaedic patients fell from 5.8 weeks in August 2007 to five weeks in January 2009.
	The median referral to treatment time waited of rheumatology patients admitted for treatment has come down from 15 weeks in March 2007 to 4.4 weeks in January 2009. Median referral to treatment time waited for non-admitted rheumatology patients fell from 9.3 weeks in August 2007 to 5.8 weeks in January 2009.

NHS: Drugs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of prescribing anti-depressant drugs in  (a) North and East Hertfordshire and  (b) England in each of the last five years (i) in cash terms and (ii) in 2009-10 prices;
	(2)  what the average net ingredient cost was for drugs falling within section 4.3 of the British National Formulary in each of the last five years  (a) in cash terms and  (b) in 2009-10 prices.

Phil Hope: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Section 4.3 of the British National Formulary: antidepressant drugs, 2003-07 
			   Net ingredient cost for prescription items dispensed in East and North Hertfordshire PCT( 1, 2)  (000)  Uprated to 2009-10 prices( 3)  Net ingredient cost for prescription items dispensed in England (000)  Uprated to 2009-10 prices( 3)  Average net ingredient cost per prescription item dispensed in England ()  Uprated to 2009-10 prices( 3) 
			 2003 n/a n/a 395,178.0 458,466.2 14.29 16.58 
			 2004 n/a n/a 400,681.7 452,542.2 13.82 15.61 
			 2005 3,375.1 3,735.4 338,546.7 374,684.0 11.52 12.75 
			 2006 2,891.7 3,115.0 291,511.4 314,023.8 9.39 10.12 
			 2007 2,683.7 2,812.5 276,107.6 289,357.3 8.16 8.55 
			 (1) Data based on current primary care trust (PCT) structure. The structure changed in October 2006 when North Hertfordshire and Stevenage PCT, Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford PCT, South East Hertfordshire PCT and Welwyn Hatfield PCT were incorporated into the new East and North Hertfordshire PCT. (2) PCT level data supplied by the NHS Prescriptions Service is only held for a rolling 60-month period. (3) Based on HM Treasury gross domestic product deflators.  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system.

NHS: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients  (a) were admitted to hospital and  (b) died because of an adverse reaction to prescription medication in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. Approximately 20,000-25,000 reports of ADRs are reported to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	The following table shows the number of spontaneous UK suspected Adverse Drug Reaction reports received by the MHRA between 1998 and 2008 which (i) had a fatal outcome (ii) resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation.
	
		
			  Year received by MHRA  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received with a fatal outcome  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received which resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation 
			 1998 18,047 520 2,970 
			 1999 18,483 564 3,212 
			 2000 33,147 632 4,060 
			 2001 21,454 648 3,011 
			 2002 17,602 666 3,624 
			 2003 19,215 733 4,380 
			 2004 19,975 859 4,426 
			 2005 21,917 1,015 4,564 
			 2006 22,001 952 4,621 
			 2007 21,761 1,030 4,500 
			 2008 25,424 1,299 4,487 
		
	
	It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease being treated.

NHS: Equality

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department's Pacesetters programme is estimated to cost; how many staff of his Department are engaged on it; how long  (a) Wave 1 and  (b) Wave 2 is expected to last; and what assessment of the costs and benefits of the programme have been carried out.

Phil Hope: The total cost of the Pacesetter programme for 2008-09 was approximately 2 million, including an allocation of some 200,000 for each of the six participating strategic health authority (SHAs) (slight variations occur between SHAs). There are four departmental staff engaged on the programme, supported by a number of national health service secondees.
	By mid-2007, 18 trusts from six SHA areas had signed up to wave 1 of the programme. Each participating trust in wave 1 has up to three years of funding allocated dependent on when they joined the programme. A further 16 trusts from six SHA areas were recruited to wave 2 in October 2008. Each participating trust in wave 2 has up to two years of funding allocated.
	The equality impact assessment of the Pacesetters Programme was issued for consultation on 17 March 2009. It spells out the anticipated outcomes of and the potential challenges facing Pacesetters. Where challenges are identified, action plans to address or mitigate them are presented.

NHS: Private Sector

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to monitor the effect of the use of private sector operators on levels of patient care quality in  (a) patient transport services and  (b) the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: On 1 April 2009, the Care Quality Commission took over from the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission.
	For 2009-10, the Commission continues to regulate private and voluntary health care and adult social care under the Care Standards Act 2000. Also for 2009-10, national health service providers have been registered against the requirement relating to health care associated infection and will continue to work to the national standards in Standards for Better Health.
	From April 2010, the Care Quality Commission will start to operate a new registration system, covering both health and adult social care providers. This will be based in secondary legislation under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Our aim is to ensure that the registration system is fair to all providers of regulated health or adult social care activities, no matter whether they are classed as health or adult social care, from the NHS, local authority or independent sectors.
	In the Department's Response to Consultation on the Framework for Registration of Health and Adult Social Care Providers and Consultation on Draft Regulations, published on 30 March 2009, it has been announced that patient transport services will be brought within the new registration system under the 'emergency and urgent care' activity. It is also stated that private ambulance service providers will be brought into regulation from April 2011.

NHS: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on each type of non-medical education and training for NHS staff in each of the last five years; and what the budget for each year to 2010-11 is.

Ann Keen: Information on the amount spent by the Department on each type of non-medical education and training in each of the last five years is not held centrally. The annual allocations for non-medical education and training (NMET) for each year to 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Annual NMET allocation 
			 2005-06 1,721 
			 2006-07 1,753 
			 2007-08 1,797 
			 2008-09 1,895 
			 2009-10 2,000 
			 2010-11 Not available

Northern Burn Care Network

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the  (a) network manager and  (b) clinical director of the Northern Burn Care Network are based.

Ann Keen: The Northern Burn Care Network is organisationally based within Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group. The network manager and clinical director are based at:
	2nd Floor
	Fulwood House
	Old Fulwood Road
	Sheffield
	S10 3TH

Occupational Therapy: Manpower

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully qualified occupational therapists have been employed by the NHS in West Chelmsford constituency in each year since 2001.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of qualified occupational therapists at Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust and Mid Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT) which cover the hon. Member's constituency of West Chelmsford area.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified occupational therapists in each specified organisation as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total specified organisations 41 39 49 46 47 55 52 61 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 30 27 28 26 28 32 32 37 
			 Mid Essex PCT 11 12 21 20 19 23 20 24 
			  Notes: In October 2006 Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT and Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust merged to form Mid Essex PCT. 2. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 901W, on out of area treatment: Wales, whether the protocol to have effect from April 2009 will be a renewal of the existing temporary protocol; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government and the Welsh Assembly Government have agreed a revised protocol for cross-border health services with effect from 1 April 200931 March 2011. This replaces the interim protocol on cross-border commissioning.

Quality Health Ltd.

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid to Quality Health Ltd. in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: Quality Health Ltd. have not received any direct payments from the Department since 1 April 2004 according to the Department of Health's own accounting system.

Respiratory System

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospital admissions and  (b) finished consultant episodes for patients with respiratory complaints there were (i) in England and (ii) at (A) Ashford Hospital, (B) Hillingdon Hospital, (C) Ealing Hospital, (D) West Middlesex University Hospital and (E) Teddington Memorial Hospital in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The number of hospital admissions and finished consultant episodes for patients with diseases of the respiratory system in England and in Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust, The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust, Richmond and Twickenham PCT and West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust in each of the last five years are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of finished consultant episodes for diseases of the respiratory system*, by provider, 2003-04 to 2007-08: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   Finished consultant episode 
			  Provider  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 England 2,194,006 2,069,200 1,940,156 1,759,953 1,632,613 
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 9,186 7,830 8,756 8,271 6,870 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 8,351 7,208 6,284 6,023 5,277 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 7,297 6,219 5,889 4,868 3,690 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 0 21 84 59 50 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 9,111 4,122 8,095 5,502 3,903 
			  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of finished admission episodes for diseases of the respiratory system*, by provider, 2003-04 to 2007-08: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   Finished admission episode 
			  Provider  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 England 1,633,608 1,545,956 1,463,988 1,336,350 1,254,319 
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 7,943 7,043 7,468 6,779 5,443 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 6,341 5,565 5,455 5,373 4,750 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 6,269 5,238 4,907 3,728 3,235 
			 Richmond And Twickenham PCT 0 21 84 59 50 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 5,436 2,548 5,012 3,873 3,454 
			  Notes: 1. The NHS Information Centre have provided the number of finished consultant episodes and finished admission episodes for diseases of the respiratory system (ICD-10 J00 to J99). The data has been presented for England, and broken down by hospital provider for the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. From the term 'respiratory complaints' the NHS Information Centre are unable to provide a definitive list of respiratory conditions without specification of the conditions required. Clinical input would be required to confirm that the condition was a 'respiratory complaint'. The data provided is for 'diseases of the respiratory system'. As a result the figures provided may provide an under count of episodes and admissions. 2.The NHS Information Centre are unable to provide data at individual hospital level and have therefore used the appropriate hospital providers of the requested hospitals: Ashford and St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust - which includes Ashford Hospital Ealing Hospital NHS Trust - which includes Ealing Hospital The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust - which includes Hillingdon Hospital West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust - which includes West Middlesex University Hospital Richmond and Twickenham PCT - which includes Teddington Memorial Hospital. 3. There is a shortfall of data for West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust in 2006. Six months of the year were effected by an error when submitting data. *The following ICD-10 codes have been used: J00-J99 - 'Diseases of the respiratory system'. Reference should be made to the following J00-J99 sheet for ICD-code descriptions Diagnosis code Diagnosis code Primary description J00 Acute nasopharyngitis [common cold] J01 Acute sinusitis J02 Acute pharyngitis J03 Acute tonsillitis J04 Acute laryngitis and tracheitis J05 Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup] and epiglottitis J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites J10 Influenza due to identified influenza virus J11 Infiuenzavirus not identified J12 Viral pneumonia, not elsewhere classified J13 Pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae J14 Pneumonia due to Haemophilus influenzae J15 Bacterial pneumonia not elsewhere classified J16 Pneumonia due to other infectious organisms NEC J17 Pneumonia in diseases classified elsewhere J18 Pneumoniaorganism unspecified J20 Acute bronchitis J21 Acute bronchiolitis J22 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection J30 Vasomotor and allergic rhinitis J31 Chronic rhinitisnasopharyngitis and pharyngitis J32 Chronic sinusitis J33 Nasal polyp J34 Other disorders of nose and nasal sinuses J35 Chronic diseases of tonsils and adenoids J36 Peritonsillar abscess J37 Chronic laryngitis and laryngotracheitis J38 Diseases of vocal cords and larynx not elsewhere class J39 Other diseases of upper respiratory tract J40 Bronchitis not specified as acute or chronic J41 Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis J42 Unspecified chronic bronchitis J43 Emphysema J44 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease J45 Asthma J46 Status asthmaticus J47 Bronchiectasis J60 Coalworker's pneumoconiosis J61 Pneumoconiosis due to asbestos and other mineral fibres J62 Pneumoconiosis due to dust containing silica J63 Pneumoconiosis due to other inorganic dusts J64 Unspecified pneumoconiosis 
		
	
	J65 Pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosis
	J66 Airway disease due to specific organic dust
	J67 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to organic dust
	J68 Respiratory cond's due to inhalation of chemicals, gases, fumes and vapours
	J69 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids
	J70 Respiratory conditions due to other external agents
	J80 Adult respiratory distress syndrome
	J81 Pulmonary oedema
	J82 Pulmonary eosinophilia, not elsewhere classified
	J84 Other interstitial pulmonary diseases
	J85 Abscess of lung and mediastinum
	J86 Pyothorax
	J90 Pleural effusion not elsewhere classified
	J91 Pleural effusion in conditions classified elsewhere
	J92 Pleural plaque
	J93 Pneumothorax
	J94 Other pleural conditions
	J95 Post procedural respiratory disorders NEC
	J96 Respiratory failure not elsewhere classified
	J98 Other respiratory disorders
	J99 Respiratory disorders in diseases classified elsewhere
	 Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Self-harm

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of self-harm were diagnosed among  (a) men and  (b) women aged (i) between 50 and 64 years and (ii) over the age of 65 years in each region in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally, however, the information that is available about finished consultant episodes for intentional self-harm is contained in a table which has been placed in the Library.

Sleep

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness of the health risks arising from sleep deprivation.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE recognises that fatigue as a consequence of sleep deprivation can affect performance and increase the risk of work-related accidents, injuries and possibly ill-health. HSE has published guidance (HSG 256, Managing shift work: Health and Safety Guidance) to assist employers in managing these risks in their workforce.
	The guidance includes background information on the health and safety risks associated with shift work and fatigue, UK legal duties and practical guidance on how to reduce the risks. This advice is also summarised in the form of good practice guidelines. The guidance is available from:
	www.hsebooks.co.uk.
	A short summary of the guidance, including the good practice guidelines, is available on our website at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/shiftwork/index.htm.

Smoking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects on the number of NHS patients who have ceased smoking as a result of advice given by their GP in  (a) each London borough and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Data are available on the number of people who have stopped smoking through NHS Stop Smoking Services. This is reported on quarterly and annually at national, strategic health authority and primary care trust level by the NHS information centre for health and social care (IC) and the reports can be found on the NHS IC website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/nhs-stop-smoking-services
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) omnibus survey collects information on adult smokers in the general population who have had advice from their general practitioner about smoking. The annual report smoking-related behaviour and attitudes is available on the ONS website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=1638

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 251W, on social care: research, whether the research being undertaken by the Personal Social Services Research Unit to make projections of likely future demand for long-term care has been completed.

Phil Hope: The personal social services unit (PSSRU) is currently in the early stages of producing a report detailing the results around the projections of likely future demand for long-term care. We expect PSSRU to publish this report within the next few months.

Social Services: National Skills Academies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 20 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1236W, whether the Social Care Skills Academy is operational.

Phil Hope: The National Skills Academy for Social Care is currently involving a broad array of sector employers and people who use services to ensure its programmes and activities meet the needs and expectations of those who will benefit most from its creation. It has recently appointed a permanent director and is currently rolling out its first programmes. The Skills Academy is expected to be fully operational by autumn 2009.

Social Workers

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers the NHS employs; and how many of them completed their training  (a) in the UK and  (b) abroad.

Phil Hope: The information is not collected centrally.

South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when South Staffordshire NHS Trust applied to Monitor for foundation status;
	(2)  when Monitor  (a) began and  (b) completed its intensive assessment of the application for foundation status by South Staffordshire NHS Trust;
	(3)  when Monitor granted foundation status to South Staffordshire NHS Trust;
	(4)  if he will place in the Library a copy of Monitor's assessment of the arrangements made by the board of South Staffordshire NHS Trust for monitoring and continuously improving the quality healthcare provided to the hospitals patients.

Ben Bradshaw: We are informed by the chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts) that the trust wrote to Monitor to formally apply for NHS foundation trust (NHS FT) status on 23 January 2006.
	Monitor began its assessment work on 25 January 2006 when the 'kick-off meeting was arranged with the trust, and completed its work on 24 April 2006 which was the date of the decision board.
	South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS FT was authorised on 1 May 2006.
	The requirement for an assessment of arrangements for monitoring and continuously improving the quality of healthcare, which is set out in appendix B12 of the Guide for Applicants dated November 2008, was not in place at the time of the South Staffordshire assessment in 2006. Therefore it is not possible to place this in the Library.

Suicide

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Suicide and Injury of Undetermined Intent Mortality Rate indicator was withdrawn; and what assessment he has made of the effect of its withdrawal on the anti-suicide strategy.

Phil Hope: The 2008-09 National Health Service Operating Framework includes a measure for strategic health authorities (SHAs) to reduce the death rate from injury and undetermined death by at least 20 per cent. from a 1995-97 baseline figure by 2010. SHAs are expected to have plans in place with the Department to achieve this reduction.
	However, as primary care trusts (PCTs) do not have equivalent plans, the Healthcare Commission (now Care Quality Commission) agreed to withdraw this indicator from 2008-09 national priorities for PCTs. PCTs are expected to support SHAs in delivery on their agreed priorities, and their suicide rates are monitored as part of the Vital Signs set.
	Progress with implementation of the suicide prevention strategy and the target is published in the departmental report each year, and also in the Suicide Prevention Strategy annual report. The overall rate of suicide amongst the general population is at the lowest rate on record and among the lowest in Europe.

Teenage Pregnancy: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many teenage pregnancies there were in the London Borough of Hillingdon in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many teenage pregnancies there were in the London Borough of Hillingdon in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (268586)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth and/or stillbirth (a maternity) or a legal termination.
	The number of conceptions to women aged under 18 in the London Borough of Hillingdon for the years 2003-2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table. Figures for 2007 are provisional.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions to women aged under 18 in the London borough of Hillingdon, 2003 to 2007 
			   Number 
			 2003 225 
			 2004 223 
			 2005 218 
			 2006 210 
			 2007(1) 221 
			 (1) Figures for 2007 are provisional

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Conflict Prevention

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what change in funding for  (a) the Conflict Prevention Pool budget and  (b) each activity funded under that budget is planned for 2009-10; what discussions he has had with his Ministerial colleagues on the subject; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State has discussed changes to the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) Budget with the Foreign and Defence Secretaries. The agreements reached are set out in the written ministerial statement submitted to Parliament by the Foreign Secretary on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS. The statement sets out a new structure for conflict funding in 2009-10. This includes merging the Stabilisation Aid Fund Iraq and Afghanistan programmes with certain CPP programmes. It also sets out the overall funding levels available for conflict-related activity in 2009-10.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The latest estimates of expenditure against capital departmental expenditure limits (CDEL) were published on page 214 of the pre-Budget report in November 2008. The Department for International Development estimates that the Department's expenditure within CDEL will be as follows:
	
		
			million 
			  (a) 2008-09 891 
			  (b) 2009-10 1,366 
			  (c) 2010-11 1,556 
		
	
	Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether funding under the Returns and Reintegration Fund is classified as official development assistance; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Most of the projects funded by the Returns and Reintegration Fund do not count as Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Departmental Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the  (a) production and printing and  (b) other costs to his Department of producing its most recent (i) departmental annual report and (ii) autumn performance report.

Michael Foster: The cost of the Department for International Development's (DFID) most recent Annual and Autumn Performance Reports were as follows:
	
		
			   
			   (a) Production and printing( 1)  (b) Other costs( 1) 
			 (i) Annual Report 27,504 0 
			 (ii)Autumn Performance Report 75,570.41 10,060.34 
			 (1) Including VAT

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which training courses were  (a) available to and  (b) taken up by (i) civil servants and  (b) Ministers in his Department in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: Staff at the Department for International Development (DFID) are able to attend a range of internal and external training courses. It is not possible to provide specific details of all courses available and taken up by civil servants without incurring disproportionate costs.
	On training courses undertaken by Ministers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 861W.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on the provision of training for Ministers and civil servants in each of the last three years.

Michael Foster: Information on the costs of staff training are not recorded centrally and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	On training courses undertaken by Ministers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 865W.

Developing Countries: Drugs

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the creation of a patent pool to enable access to generic copies of drugs by governments in developing countries.

Ivan Lewis: The UK Government support the recommendation in the World Health Organization's Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property to
	examine the feasibility of voluntary patent pools of upstream and downstream technologies to promote innovation of and access to health products and medical devices.
	We have therefore welcomed the investigation of a patent pool for HIV/AIDS treatments being carried out by UNITAID, the international drug purchase facility. This has the objective of making HIV/AIDS drugs more widely available, and of promoting the development of new fixed dose combinations, in particular those suitable for use by children.
	We also welcome the recent proposal by GlaxoSmithKline to create a patent pool to facilitate research on neglected tropical diseases, and its intention to place over 800 patents (and patent applications) in such a pool.

Developing Countries: Water

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consideration was given to holding discussions on the issue of poor water and sanitation in the developing world at the London G20 summit.

Ivan Lewis: The concerns of developing countries and the poorest people were central to discussions at the G20 London summit. This is reflected in the number of positive outcomes for international development and global poverty reduction achieved at the summit.
	These outcomes included G20 Leaders agreeing substantially more funds for poor countries at a time when they are being badly hit by the economic crisis. The headline figure is an additional $50 billion to safeguard development and boost growth in the poorest countries. These additional resources secured for developing countries at the London summit are available to support progress towards the MDGs, including improved water and sanitation in the developing world.
	G20 Leaders also recognised our collective responsibility to address the social impact of this crisisalongside the economic impact. The summit highlighted the importance of providing resources for social protection for the most vulnerable. A special mechanism will also be set up by the UN to track the impact of the crisis on the poor at the household level so we can ensure that assistance is properly targeted.

Developing Countries: Water

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to improve access to clean water and sanitation in the developing world.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to improving access to water and sanitation in the developing world.
	The 2008 Water Policy: Water: An increasingly precious resource, Sanitation: A matter of dignity sets out the steps DFID is taking to meet its 200 million commitment to address the serious water and sanitation challenges.
	The policy is available on the DFID website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/News/files/water-sanitation-policy-08.asp

EU Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will make it its policy in EU negotiations to ensure that aid conditionality with particular reference to acceptance of  (a) International Criminal Court and  (b) Cotonou provisions does not prevent aid reaching those for whom it was intended; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Cotonou agreement is the legal basis by which European development funds (EDF) are provided to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific partner countries. The Cotonou agreement has clear references to the adoption of the International Criminal Court and has other conditions which must be adhered to by all parties. The UK Government believe that all countries receiving EDF support must be signatories of the Cotonou agreement. This is fundamental to the partnership between these countries and the European Union, and should be upheld.
	When situations arise where partner country governments do not meet the conditions outlined in the Cotonou agreement, then the UK will explore options with the European Commission to find alternative sources of aid funding to reach those in need.

Fines

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department.

Michael Foster: I can confirm that the Department for International Development does not apply administrative financial penalties as a remedy for non performance of a service contract or aid agreement.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the level of his Department's funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Ivan Lewis: Since January 2009, the Department for International Development (DFID) has received representations, in the form of correspondence and parliamentary questions, from Members of Parliament on the level of UK funding to support the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. This was in the lead up to the Stop AIDS Campaign: Day of Action held on 24 March and the Global Fund Mid-Term Review of the Second Voluntary Replenishment Meeting in Spain between the 30 March-1 April.
	I attended the Student Stop AIDS Campaign meeting on 24 March and held a question and answer session. The audience spoke passionately about the anticipated funding needs that the Global Fund would help respond to.
	DFID has already made an unprecedented pledge to the fund of up to 1 billion between 2008 and 2015. Last year we set out in a memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat how we will commit 330 million for the current period, 2008-10. We also set out that we will commit an additional amount of 30 million in 2010 dependent on performance and results. The Prime Minister also announced in September last year a further 40 million in support to the Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFM) which will be hosted by the fund as part of its existing business.

Montserrat: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much budgetary aid the UK gave to Montserrat in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  UK budgetary aid to Montserrat, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   DFID bilateral expenditure  (000) 
			 2003-04 12,451 
			 2004-05 10,133 
			 2005-06 10,367 
			 2006-07 11,350 
			 2007-08 11,725 
		
	
	Further information on the UK's expenditure on aid to Montserrat is contained in the Department for International Development's (DFID) publication 'Statistics on International Development'. This is available in the Library of the House and online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	Details on DFID's expenditure in 2008-09 are not yet available but will be published in its 2009 annual report in July.

Overseas Aid: Fossil Fuels

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the provision of  (a) loans and  (b) loan guarantees by multilateral development banks to fossil fuel projects overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In October 2008 the Governors of the World Bank agreed a new strategic framework for climate change and development that will integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation into its core activities. The framework sets out a series of considerations that will govern decisions on financing for new coal power projects. Details of these are available on the World Bank's web-site:
	http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/ENVIRONMENT/EXTCC/0,,contentMDK:21876999 ~menuPK:4849391~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSite PK:407864.00.html
	The UK worked with the Bank in developing the Framework and led calls for its adoption. The Department for International Development (DFID) is continuing work with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) to develop these criteria further and identify how they should be applied to fossil fuel projects across the MDBs.
	The clean energy investment framework agreed by the Gleneagles G8 in 2005, has led to an increase in low carbon energy investments by the MDBs representing $117.7 billion of leveraged investment. Our 800 million contribution to the climate investment funds will help provide some of the additional resources needed to help support this.

Poverty

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated cost of the regional consultation on his Department's White Paper on eliminating world poverty is; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The estimated cost of the regional consultation is 205,000. 12 events are planned in total, covering the nine English regions, together with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Poverty: Conferences

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which  (a) hon. Members and  (b) Members of the House of Lords (i) were invited and (ii) attended his Department's Conference on Eliminating World Poverty.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The following participated as guest speakers or session chairs: Right hon. Gordon Brown MP; right hon. Douglas Alexander MP; right hon. David Miliband MP; right hon. Ed Miliband MP; right hon. Malcolm Bruce, Chair of the Commons Select Committee on International Development; Gareth Thomas MP and Ivan Lewis MP.
	The following Members accepted invitations to attend the Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future conference:
	Right hon. John Battle MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development;
	David Borrow MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS and acting Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Debt, Aid and Trade;
	Christine McCafferty MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health;
	Richard Ottaway MP, contributor to All-Party Parliamentary Group hearings on population growth.
	Mike Gapes MP, Chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, was unable to attend and declined the invitation.
	 (b) The following members of the House of Lords were invited and attended: Lord Crisp; Lord Hannay of Chiswick; Lord Joffe and Lord Judd. Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and Lord Stern of Brentford participated as speakers.
	The following members of the House of Lords declined the invitation: Lord Browne of Madingley; Lord Desai and Lord Turner of Ecchinswell.

St. Helena: Airports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment was made of the economic case for an airport on the island of St Helena before tenders for the construction of an airport were sought.

Michael Foster: Preliminary work was carried out by High Point Rendel in the 2001 Comparative Study of Air and Sea Access for St. Helena. This fell short of a full economic analysis.
	The 2005 Feasibility Study by Atkins included outline economic appraisal of a wide range of access options, and detailed financial and economic analysis of three shortlisted options, including the proposed airport. This work was reviewed by a leading independent economist.

St. Helena: Airports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the preferred tenderer has spent on pre-contractual work for the construction of an airport on the island of St Helena; and what steps he plans to take to compensate the preferred tenderer in the event that the project is not proceeded with.

Michael Foster: We have no means of knowing how much the preferred tenderer has spent on pre-contractual work. Any such work is carried out at the tenderer's own risk.
	Under the terms of the tender, tenderers who have submitted bids which are not taken forward to contract are entitled to reclaim up to 100,000 in costs.

St. Helena: Airports

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have held in respect of the proposed airport on the island of Saint Helena in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: I, with departmental officials, have had meetings with the Governor of St. Helena, representatives of the St. Helena Leisure Corporation (SHELCO) and Impregilo, the preferred bidder, in respect of the proposed airport.
	Discussions have also been held at official level between DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Treasury.

St. Helena: Airports

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the proposed airport on the island of Saint Helena; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Predecessors of the Department for International Development commissioned studies by the Civil Aviation Authority in 1973 and 1987, both of which concluded that while a runway was feasible technically the costs would be considerable. DFID commissioned High Point Rendel as part of the Comparative Study of Air and Sea Access in 2001. This assessed costs of both forms of access indicating air access a better long-term option.
	More recently, DFID commissioned Atkins to undertake the full feasibility study. This was completed in January 2005 and evaluated a wide range of options, including the proposed airport. It was on the basis of its conclusions that the Government went to tender in 2007. A full environmental impact assessment was carried out in 2005-06, following earlier studies into the St. Helena wirebird, invertebrates and lichens on the proposed airport site.

St. Helena: Politics and Government

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many consultations on  (a) proposals for an airport on the island of St Helena,  (b) other matters associated with an airport and  (c) general matters relating to the economy of St Helena have been held in each year since 1999; and what the cost of each was.

Michael Foster: The St. Helena Government and the Department for International Development have together consulted the public on St. Helena on a wide range of issues associated with the airport and the economy over a number of years. These include the referendum on access in 2002, and subsequent consultations regarding Land Use, Private Sector Investment, Tourism and most recently Taxation. Details of consultation relating to the airport can be found in the planning statement at:
	http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/application/documents/Planning-Statement
	Most of the consultation work has been carried out in the course of wider preparatory work and costs are not readily disaggregated.

St. Helena: Politics and Government

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and  (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the strategic importance to the UK of the island of St Helena in respect of (i) the South Atlantic and (ii) Africa in the last six months.

Michael Foster: The Secretary of State for International Development has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

St. Helena: Politics and Government

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what periods in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010 RMS St Helena will be out of service for programmed works; and what plans there are to ensure that the island of St Helena will receive supplies during such periods.

Gareth Thomas: The RMS St. Helena will be out of service for programmed works from 16 to 30 August 2009, from 8 March 2010 to 19 April 2010 and from 31 August to 5 October 2010.
	The Government of St. Helena are planning in the same way as they plan for the RMS absences when it makes trips to the United Kingdom, as that journey is comparable to these out of service periods. The RMS schedule is published well in advance so that arrangements can be made, through proper preparation, to ensure that essential supplies are maintained.
	RMS voyage schedules information can be found on the RMS website:
	http://www.rms-st-helena.com/schedules.html

St. Helena: Politics and Government

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 40WS, on St. Helena, when he expects the consultation on access arrangements for the island of St. Helena to conclude; if he will publish all submissions the consultation receives; and if he will make an oral statement to the House as soon as possible after conclusion of the consultation.

Michael Foster: The consultation starts in April. The deadline for responses is 31 July. In line with the Government's 'Code of Practice on Consultation', we plan to publish a report within three months of the close of the consultation. This will summarise the responses received and explain how the consultation will influence policy development. The Secretary of State for International Development will make his decision once he has considered the report.

St. Helena: Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what means of transport are available to visitors wishing to travel to Saint Helena; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Visitors travel to St. Helena on the RMS St. Helena, commercial cruise ships, and yachts. In addition the island is also visited by cargo ships, fuel tankers, navy ships and research ships. In 2008, five cruise ships and over 140 yachts visited St. Helena and the RMS St. Helena called on the island 30 times.

Tuberculosis: Overseas Aid

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's priorities are in respect of programmes for the global control of tuberculosis in the next 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) main focus remains the delivery of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-15, which aims to save 14 million lives. We do this with substantial support through country programmes, multilateral organisations, global partnerships, research, and through using our political voice in the G8 and other fora.
	Key priorities for TB control at present include addressing the challenges of HIV-TB co-infection and the increasing problem of drug resistance. We will continue to focus on both HIV and TB, and on strengthening the underlying health systems in order to improve the way health services diagnose and treat illnesses, including TB and TB-HIV. We will also continue to support research into new TB treatments. DFID recently made a new 18 million funding package to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development. This is part of the 220 million committed for product development research for diseases including HIV, TB and malaria.

Tuberculosis: Overseas Aid

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that international development and control of the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis are discussed at the 2009 G8 conference in Italy.

Ivan Lewis: Italy holds the presidency of the G8 this year and they have agreed that development and Africa will be a key element of the G8 Leaders Summit in Italy in July. As with previous summits, the UK Government will continue to work through all available channels in the lead up to the summit to ensure that tackling global health challenges remains a high priority for the leaders' agenda. The UK is strongly committed to reducing death and suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis, and will encourage other G8 partners to ensure that tuberculosis is addressed as part of the comprehensive package of G8 measures. This should enable developing countries to make faster progress towards the millennium development goal targets.

Washington

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which airline was used by the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mr. Malik) for his visit to Washington from 25 to 26 October 2007, as listed in the Cabinet Office's list of overseas travel by Ministers undertaken between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008; what class his ticket was; how much the flight cost; what accommodation he used; how much it cost; who accompanied him; what official engagements he undertook on his visit; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Details of Ministers' travel are published annually in the Cabinet Office publication Overseas Travel by Ministers. The most recent version is available in the Library of the House and online at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/propriety_and_ethics/assets/travel_2007_2008.pdf

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arctic

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on Russian military deployments in the Arctic.

Caroline Flint: There have been no discussions between my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Canadian Foreign Minister on this matter.

Balkans: Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what level of funding will be provided for conflict prevention work in the Balkans; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We plan to fund some 6.5 million of conflict prevention project work in the Western Balkans from the Wider Europe Conflict Prevention Fund in 2009-10. I have covered this further in my letter of 25 March 2009 to the chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Balkans: Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what a reduced level of commitment to EU and OSCE operations in the Balkans and the Caucasus will entail; how much funding is required for this reduced level of commitment; how much funding was originally planned under the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 18WS.
	The UK will continue to support the work of EU and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe missions in the Balkans and south Caucasus. Details of the prioritisation of our commitments are set out in my letter to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee of 25 March 2009, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Binyam Mohamed

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department's Senior Legal Adviser was instructed during his recent visit to Washington to request the US administration to permit the release of the 42 documents on Binyam Mohamed currently classified as secret by the US intelligence services.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Legal Adviser met with a range of interlocutors from across the US government on 9-10 February 2009 to discuss legal issues relating to a number of foreign policy matters including the case of Mr. Binyam Mohamed. At this stage we continued to press for Mr. Mohamed's release and return. The FCO legal adviser was informed of the US review on all state secret cases ordered by President Obama. He made it clear that the UK had no objection to the release of US documents in this case. We will not lobby the US on the matter. It is for them to decide on the publication of their documents.

British Council: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 778W, on British Council: finance, how much expenditure  (a) in which countries and  (b) on what programmes he expects the British Council to incur under its Reconnect Programme in 2008-09.

Caroline Flint: The British Council's Reconnect programme for 2008-09 focussed on youth leadership programmes within countries in its priority regions of the middle east, near east and north Africa as well as parts of its central and south Asia and east Asia regions.
	The individual programmes are: Global Changemakers, Active Citizens, Global Exchange, Leadership in Community Development, Women at Work and the Springboard Programme. The total spend for these programmes in 2008-09 is forecasted at just over 2 million which constitutes 1 million of the British Council's Reconnect funding supplemented by additional funding from the British Council's grant in aid funding.

British Overseas Territories: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many animal species previously known to inhabit each British Overseas Territory have been recorded as extinct since 2004.

Gillian Merron: As far as we are aware, no animal species previously known to inhabit each British Overseas Territory has been recorded as extinct since 2004.

British Virgin Islands: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the preservation of biodiversity and coral reefs in the British Virgin Islands.

Gillian Merron: The management and protection of the environment has been devolved to the individual Overseas Territories. However, we recognise that there are capacity limitations in the Overseas Territories and that they need help to address conservation issues. The Government supports the Overseas Territories by providing funding through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development funded programme, and through the Darwin Initiative, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, funded programme, to encourage the conservation and preservation of biodiversity in the British Virgin Islands.
	Through the Overseas Territories Environment Fund, we are funding a project for the community of Jost Van Dyke, the fourth largest inhabited island in the British Virgin Islands, to help it develop an environmental profile and increase environmental awareness among residents, stakeholders, visitors and government agencies, providing a long-term programme of education, outreach and environmental monitoring.
	We have also provided funding for a project, working with the British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust, which has created an identification guide to the major Caribbean reef species. This enables accurate monitoring and conservation of the reefs, and also enables information to be shared across the Caribbean Overseas Territories, whose reefs have many ecological similarities.

Canada: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to monitor the political situation in Canada.

Bill Rammell: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London, and staff based at our high commission in Ottawa and at our consulates-general elsewhere in Canada, maintain frequent and regular contact with their Canadian counterparts on a wide range of domestic and international political issues. At ministerial level, recent contacts have included my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's meeting on 16 February 2009 with Peter Mackay, Canadian Minister of National Defence and chair of its Cabinet Foreign Affairs Committee, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's telephone call on 17 March 2009 to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Central Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the EU military mission in Chad and the Central African Republic to regional stability.

Gillian Merron: During its one year mandate, the EU forces in Chad and the Central African Republic made a valuable contribution towards providing security in the region, in particular by deterring attacks on civilians by armed groups and in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Children: Safety

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) funding and  (b) other assistance his Department provided for the production of series (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three of the Kids Taskforce Watch over Me production.

Caroline Flint: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provided 62,412 over the 2004-05 financial year towards the development of series 2 of the Kids Task ForceWatch over Me video production to cover the inclusion of issues relating to forced marriage and how they affect young people.
	The FCO did not provide any other funding or assistance to the project.

Colombia: Drugs

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the counter-narcotics assistance provided by the Government to the Colombian security forces is not used for counter-insurgency purposes.

Gillian Merron: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1410W.

Colombia: Military Aid

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 40-2WS, on Colombia, what plans there are for future UK bilateral counter-narcotics assistance to the Colombian security forces.

Gillian Merron: We do not divulge the details of our counter-narcotics work in Colombia, including costs, because of the risk to the people concerned. The parliamentary ombudsman has upheld this approach.

Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what the breakdown is of the costs incurred under each peacekeeping mission to which the UK is committed; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Based on our calculations, in 2008-09 we estimate that the UK's share of assessed costs to individual missions paid for from within conflict resources will be as follows:
	
		
			
			 UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) 18,297,738 
			 UN Operation in Cte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) 19,968,022 
			 UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) 49,272,772 
			 UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) 1,334,652 
			 UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) 25,323,581 
			 UN African Union: UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) 64,197,346 
			 UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) 30,070,770 
			 UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) 1,392,357 
			 UN Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT) 6,008,093 
			 UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) 1,462,365 
			 UN Disengagement Observer Force Zone (UNDOF) 1,834,559 
			 UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) 24,201,172 
			 UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) 7,480,504 
			 UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 28,307,578 
			 UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) 1,764,832 
			 UN International Criminal Court 5,463,876 
			 UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda 5,403,725 
			 UN International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia 7,145,468 
			 UN/AU UN Logistical Support to African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) 1,960,880 
			 Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe field missions 9,633,681 
			 EU Common Foreign and Security 15,100,000 
			 EU Force in Chad (EUFOR) 6,647,350 
			 EU NAVFOR Atalanta 340,466 
			 Total 332,611,787 
		
	
	We have budgeted for 456 million for assessed costs in 2009-10. As most of these costs are yet to be agreed in the relevant international forum, we do not yet have reliable estimates for individual missions.

Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what estimate has been made of the effect on the costs to the Government of its commitments to international institutions caused by the fall in the value of sterling; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The projected increase in the UK's assessed peacekeeping contributions in 2009-10 is the result of both an increase in peacekeeping activity international and the fall in the value of sterling against the US dollar and the euro.
	The impact of exchange rate changes in financial year 2008-09 has been partly offset by the effects of forward purchasing our foreign currency requirement.
	We have earmarked 456 million for assessed costs in 2009-10. However, this remains a projection as UN peacekeeping costs are still to be negotiated by the UN General Assembly for 2009-10, and future UN peacekeeping activity remains subject to decisions by the UN Security Council. We cannot provide an accurate estimate of the additional costs caused by the fall in the value of sterling rather than through the expansion of international peacekeeping missions until the budgets for each of the individual missions are agreed and payments made.

Conflict Prevention

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what proportion of the additional 71 million for conflict prevention, stabilisation and discretionary funding will be met by  (a) his Department,  (b) the Department for International Development and  (c) the Ministry of Defence; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Of the additional 71 million to be provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for International Development (DFID) for discretionary conflict activity (conflict prevention, stabilisation and peacekeeping), 15 million (21 per cent.) has been provided by the FCO, 22.5 million (32 per cent.) by the MOD and 33.5 million (47 per cent.) by DFID.

Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what the allocation for South Asia and Afghanistan was before the revision announced in the Statement.

David Miliband: The final budgets contained within the written ministerial statement are the original and only allocation figures for South Asia and Afghanistan for financial year 2009-10.
	South Asia and Afghanistan received 56.4 million in 2008-09 and has been allocated 61.3 million for 2009-10.

Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what proportion of the additional 71 million to be provided for peacekeeping activities by his Department, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence will be drawn from his Department's budget.

David Miliband: Of the additional 71 million to be provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for International Development (DfID) for discretionary conflict activity (conflict prevention, stabilisation and peacekeeping), 15 million (21 per cent.) has been provided by the FCO, 22.5 million (32 per cent.) by the MOD and 33.5 million (47 per cent.) by DflD.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long his Department has followed the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Caroline Flint: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been following the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme since April 2006.

Departmental Computers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many laptop computers have been provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost.

Gillian Merron: As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office devolves budget responsibility for most purchases of this type to individual directorates, there is no central record of the information requested. Consequently a full answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, a central pool of laptops is maintained for work involving sensitive information. There are currently approximately 450 machines available for use by staff on a rental basis. The cost of providing this service was approximately 650,000 in the financial year 2008-09.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 626-27W, on economic situation, what expenditure was incurred under what budgetary headings his Department incurred on its seminar on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Africa Economic Outlook held in June 2008.

Gillian Merron: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Africa Economic Outlook seminar helps inform Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff about economic developments in Africa and is also a valuable part of the UK's extensive links with the OECD.
	The total cost of the seminar was 123.74, to provide refreshments for the participants and guest speakers from the OECD's Development Centre. This was met from the FCO's Global Economy Group's administrative budget.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 626-27W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under what budgetary headings was incurred by his Department in relation to its Global Economy Group internal seminar held in October 2008.

Caroline Flint: The lunchtime seminar on risks facing emerging market economies in the financial crisis cost 270.36. All costs were associated with catering provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's standard internal caterers.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 626-27W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under what budgetary headings was incurred by his Department in relation to its bi-annual conference for its economic officers held in December 2008.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Economic Officers conference is held bi-annually.
	The budget for this year's conference was set at 35,000 with 120 officials attending. The actual spend as of 30 March 2009 was 23,238 and final spend is expected to be within the budget.
	Two thirds of the budget for the conference was to provide a contribution to officials' airfares. The remainder was allocated to catering and audio equipment hire.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 626-27W, on the economic situation, what the expenditure under what budgetary headings was incurred by his Department in relation to its seminar on Global economics crisis: challenges and opportunities for Europe held in Budapest in February.

Gillian Merron: The Department incurred a total expenditure of 1,464 for this seminar under the following budgetary headings:
	
		
			
			 Language Interpretation 315 
			 Conference Audio Visual Services 227 
			 Photographer 85 
			 Banners 38 
			 Graphic Design 136 
			 Stationery 663

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 626-7W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under what budgetary headings was incurred by his Department in relation to its conference for climate and energy attachs held on 26 and 27 February 2009.

Caroline Flint: The conference held on 26 to 27 February 2009 succeeded in allowing our Diplomats based throughout the world to engage directly with policy makers in Whitehall, non-governmental organisations and key business stakeholders so as to improve their effectiveness in representing the UK overseas. Over 150 people attended this event which is held annually. Final costs are contingent on claims for subsistence some of which are yet to be received. But anticipated final costs break down as follows:
	
		
			   Anticipated final costs () 
			 Conference facilities including the hire of audio equipment and catering 7,587.75 
			 Cost of hotels and subsistence for delegates 26,683.75 
			 Cost of flights for delegates 19,119.34 
			 Total costs 53,390.84 
		
	
	Costs are incurred under the administration budget line for the global and economic issues directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has draught-proofed the windows in our London offices and reduced office heating in the UK from approximately 24C to a target of 21C this winter. We are currently undertaking a thermal survey of our UK estate in order to identify further opportunities to reduce heat loss.
	In June 2008 we constructed a new information communications technology building at Hanslope Park in Buckinghamshire. This building is a high thermal mass structure, with exposed concrete ceilings that absorb at night the heat generated by the building during the day and selected elevations have solar shading to minimise the heat gain from the sun. The building also contains passive cooling systems using chilled ceiling beams. In winter the building is heated using waste heat recovered by heat exchangers from the data halls.
	This building won two Datacentre Leaders Awards for Innovation in 2008. This new building partially replaces three thermally inefficient pre-fabricated buildings which have been decommissioned; a further such building will be decommissioned by the end of 2011.
	At Wilton Park measures including repairing window frames, installing thermostatic temperature control valves to radiators and new boiler controls have been taken to improve thermal efficiency.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much  (a) electricity,  (b) gas and  (c) other fuel was used by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last 10 years.

Gillian Merron: Information on the worldwide use of electricity, gas and other fuels by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its agencies in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally and it would not be possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The following table provides all the available data for the UK FCO estate and Wilton Park. FCO services energy usage cannot be extracted from the remainder of the UK FCO estate without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  FCO (inc FCO services)  
			 Electricity (kWh) 17317198 16395548 17193208 18636612 18717254 19457515 20756930 22578615 23524791 
			 Gas (kWh) n/k 1838096 1663895 1689517 1490484 1616136 1679115 1341891 1153023 
			 Oil (kWh) n/k 2637032 4552078 4503978 4459440 3878744 4732676 3291842 4280027 
			 Heat (kWh) n/k 4365330 5306887 7116929 6475252 6636479 7146240 5290430 5677120 
			   
			  Wilton Park  
			 Electricity (kWh) n/k n/k n/k 330000 398716 411676 439213 451972 414771 
			 Gas (kWh) n/k 501626 437841 469730 423842 406431 423272 402785 419166 
			 Oil (Litres) n/k 51198 57230 57310 56500 52900 58088 59412 28000 
			 Woodchip (Tonnes) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 130 
			  Notes: 1. Heating for the bulk of the London Estate is supplied by the Whitehall district heating system. 2. Where the value is stated as n/k, the information is not currently available in this format and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. 3. Where the value is stated as n/a, which refers to woodchip at Wilton Park, this refers to a new facility introduced in 2007-08.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on  (a) the purchase of and  (b) bills for (i) BlackBerrys and (ii) other mobile telephones for (A) Ministers, (B) special advisers and (C) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Caroline Flint: The structure of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office accounts does not readily allow financial data relating to mobile devices to be broken down as requested, so a comprehensive answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the accounts show the following annual expenditure, categorised as relating to mobile phones, incurred worldwide:
	
		
			   Annual expenditure () 
			 2004-05 2,007,278.06 
			 2005-06 2,972,010.60 
			 2006-07 3,188,356.62 
			 2007-08 1,815,066.03 
			 2008-09 (1)2,222,930.46 
			 (1)2008-09 has not yet closed and the final figure may vary from this.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has purchased, or upgraded, the following numbers of mobile devices centrally:
	
		
			   Number of mobile devices 
			  BlackBerry  
			 2005 24 
			 2006 75 
			 2007 161 
			 2008 289 
			   
			  Other mobile devices  
			 2005 273 
			 2006 334 
			 2007 284 
			 2008 352 
		
	
	These figures do not include any devices that may have been purchased using devolved budgets. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the users of these devices without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The following figures cover entertainment costs for the last five financial years (1 April 2004 to 28 February 2009) and are actual spend figures rather than budget allocations.
	
		
			   
			 2004-05 4,202,925.92 
			 2005-06 4,441,416.84 
			 2006-07 3,517,135.09 
			 2007-08 6,470,379.11 
			 2008-09 7,334,177,90 
		
	
	These figures include all items, for example catering and set up costs that are directly attributable to functions, events and receptions held at posts throughout the world and in the UK.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 843-44W, on departmental public expenditure, from which budgets the additional funds required by overseas posts to maintain the purchasing power of their local budgets in 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be drawn; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The additional funds required by overseas posts to maintain the purchasing power, are allocated from the overall Foreign and Commonwealth Office's budget and supplemented by the benefits of forward purchase of foreign currencies.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: We cannot provide data prior to January 2008 as this information is not held centrally, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
	The cost of train travel by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff from January 2008 to March 2008 was 43,955.95.
	The cost of train travel, by FCO staff from April 2008 to February 2009 was 176,269.85.

Departmental Recycling

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Government Departments report their waste data against a baseline of 2004-05 and we do not have reliable data prior to that.
	The figures for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK estate are as follows:
	
		
			   Tonnes/percentage 
			  2004-05  
			 Total waste arising (Tonnes) 1,857.5 
			 Total waste sent for recycling/reuse (Tonnes) 736 
			 Recycling/reuse (Percentage) 40 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Total waste arising (Tonnes) 1,508.4 
			 Total waste sent for recycling/reuse (Tonnes) 534.3 
			 Recycling/reuse (Percentage) 35 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Total waste arising (Tonnes) 1,797 
			 Total waste sent for recycling/reuse (Tonnes) 740 
			 Recycling/reuse (Percentage) 41 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Total waste arising (Tonnes) 1,212.4 
			 Total waste sent for recycling/reuse (Tonnes) 577.5 
			 Recycling/reuse (Percentage) 48 
		
	
	Figures for 2008-09 will not be available until later this month.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many training courses  (a) civil servants and  (b) Ministers in his Department undertook in each of the last three years; and what the cost of providing such training was in each year.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides a range of learning and development opportunities in the UK and at its posts overseas. Information and attendance statistics are not held centrally and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 725W. For training in years prior to 2008, our management records provide the following details:
	In 2006 the then Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, attended a National School of Government (NSG) leadership event at a cost of 630.
	In 2007 the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, attended a NSG workshop at a cost of 200.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) believes that away days are a useful tool in helping FCO teams develop and contribute effectively to delivering the FCO's strategic objectives. Responsibility for arranging away days is devolved to directorates within the FCO and there is no central policy on where away days take place.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisations provided such training.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1420-21W. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not incurred any other expenditure on media training for Ministers during the last three years.

Diplomatic Service: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 843W, on the Diplomatic Service, what progress his Department has made towards its commitment in recruiting a talented and diverse workforce which reflects the society it serves at each pay band level.

Gillian Merron: The following table shows percentages of staff being paid via the FCO payroll split in terms of gender, ethnicity, disability and pay band.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  FCO pay band  As of 1 April 2006  As of 1 April 2007  As of 1 April 2008 
			  Band A
			 Female Staff 56.5 55.7 56.4 
			 Minority Ethnic 11.9 18 19.3 
			 Disabled 5.1 7.5 7.2 
			 
			  Band B
			 Female Staff 52 50.4 49.9 
			 Minority Ethnic 8.1 10.5 10.4 
			 Disabled 2.9 3.8 3.8 
			 
			  Band C
			 Female Staff 33.4 33.3 33 
			 Minority Ethnic 3.1 4.6 5 
			 Disabled 2.4 3.6 3.4 
			 
			  Band D
			 Female Staff 30.6 31.3 32.1 
			 Minority Ethnic 2.2 3.2 3 
			 Disabled 2.4 3.1 3.3 
			 
			  SMS
			 Female Staff 16.4 17.3 19.4 
			 Minority Ethnic 2 2.9 3.7 
			 Disabled 1.6 2.9 2.4 
		
	
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has developed a range of initiatives launched at various levels of the organisation in order to recruit a more talented and diverse work force.
	For example, since November 2006 we have implemented an undergraduate work experience programme designed to promote ethnic diversity and social inclusion, as well as taking part in Cabinet Office-led internships for students from ethnic minority backgrounds and for students with registered disabilities.
	Since September 2007 we have opened up all of our Senior Management Structure jobs to candidates from across Whitehall.
	In addition, in 2007 we organised an external recruitment campaign at Band D level, targeted at a diverse range of individuals from backgrounds outside of the FCO with the skills we require.

European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of EU institutions are posted to EU external representations.

Caroline Flint: We do not hold this information. The relevant data are owned by each EU Institution.

European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial contribution the EU made to international organisations in which it has a role as  (a) a participant and  (b) an observer in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: The information required to answer this question is not held centrally, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the members of the EU Joint Advisory Committee for Professional Incompetence are.

Caroline Flint: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not hold this information. Under Article 9 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities, each EU Institution can set up their own Joint Advisory Committee for Professional Incompetence, which are internal staff management bodies for those institutes. The relevant data are owned by each institution.

European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) cases and  (b) subjects were considered by the EU Joint Advisory Committee for Professional Incompetence in 2008.

Caroline Flint: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not hold this information. The relevant data are owned by each EU Institution and they should be approached for this information.

European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which international institutions European Communities bodies are able to claim the alternative exercise of membership rights; and on how many occasions such bodies have exercised such rights in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: In the international bodies to which the European Community is a partywith or without the Member States, the extent to which the European Community exercises rights will be determined in accordance with the rules applicable to participation of a regional body in the international body concerned. It will also depend on any internal arrangements agreed between the European Community and the Member States relating to its participation in an international body.
	We do not have information available on how many times the European Community may have exercised its membership right in international bodies within the last 12 months.

Exchange Rates

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how foreign exchange risk on his Department's foreign currency liabilities is managed; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Two mechanisms are used to manage our foreign exchange risk:
	The Overseas Pricing Mechanism (OPM) to support exchange rate pressures. Although HM Treasury withdrew support for the OPM we continue to operate the OPM internally to maintain the purchasing power of our overseas posts' local budgets.
	For our significant exposure in US dollars and euros, and to a lesser extent Japanese yen, a forward purchase strategy contracted through the Bank of England. To date we have secured several contracts with the Bank of England. These provide the maximum cover allowed for our forecast US dollar and euro net exposure up to February 2010, and partial cover over the intervening months to January 2011.

Foreign Policy

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to involve UK Muslims in discussions on British foreign policy.

Bill Rammell: Since March 2008 we have had an active programme of outreach to Muslim communities around the UK by Ministers and senior officials to engage on a range of foreign policy issues. Our outreach work to British Muslim communities is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's wider 'Bringing Foreign Policy Home' initiativea series of regional visits by Ministers and officials which include broad-ranging discussions with the British public on key foreign policy issues with the aim of raising awareness of the impact of foreign policy on peoples' lives.

Future Firecrest Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department first assessed the feasibility of the project which became the Future Firecrest programme; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Preliminary work to establish the need and identify a procurement strategy started in early 2002.
	The initial business case was considered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Board in May 2002. Following this and a review, in August 2002, by the Office of Government Commerce, a detailed examination of our requirements and the potential procurement options resulted in the presentation of a fully elaborated set of options in March 2003. On the basis of this, the project board approved the further development of the business case, recommending the procurement of a private sector strategic partnership. This business case was approved by the FCO Board and Ministers in July 2003.

Future Firecrest Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the contract with Hewlett-Packard to provide the Future Firecrest programme was signed.

Gillian Merron: The contract was signed in February 2005.

Future Firecrest Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Future Firecrest programme was initially scheduled for completion; and what the initial estimate of its cost was.

Gillian Merron: At initiation, the Future Firecrest programme was expected to complete in February 2012, and to cost 401 million.

Future Firecrest Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Future Firecrest programme is scheduled for completion; and what his most recent estimate of the cost of the programme is.

Gillian Merron: The programme is currently expected to complete in February 2012 at a cost of 401 million.

Future Firecrest Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bidders his Department initially considered to supply its Future Firecrest programme.

Gillian Merron: From the list of companies registering a potential interest in response to the notice published in the official journal of the EU, five were invited to submit detailed proposals. Following evaluation of these, three bidders were shortlisted.

G20: Greater London

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being made by his Department to accommodate those persons attending the G20 summit; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Participating countries were responsible for their own accommodation arrangements and costs.

G20: Internet

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department provided to the G20 Voice programme; and for what purposes such funding was used.

Gillian Merron: No funding has been provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the G20 Voice programme.

Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine was in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The members of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine do not charge for their services. The Committee's expenses are met from the Government Hospitality budget, and cost in the region of 10,000 per annum. The Committee's administration is carried out by a full-time civil servant, and accounts for approximately 20 per cent. of his time.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the  (a) chairman and  (b) members of each Government Hospitality Fund advisory committee are; what each committee's terms of appointment are; how often each Committee meets; what the main functions are of each one; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the most recent meeting of each committee.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality has one advisory committee, the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine (GHACPW). As a registered non-departmental public body, the terms of reference of the Committee are in the public domain.
	The Chairman of the Committee is Sir David Wright; the four members of the Committee are Mr. John Avery MW, Mrs. Deirdre Blackstock MW, Mr. Mark Pardoe MW and Mr. Sebastian Payne MW. The chairman and members are each appointed for a five-year term, renewable for a further five years.
	The GHACPW meets four times a year. Its main function is to advise the Minister responsible for Government Hospitality on the maintenance of an appropriate standard of wine for use at Government functions.
	Edited minutes of the Committee's proceedings are released through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Publication Scheme. The Annual Report of the Committee is placed in the Library of the House.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) full-time employees and  (b) full-time equivalent staff the Government Hospitality Fund employed in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality is part of Protocol Directorate within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There are 14 established civil servants working in the Government Hospitality team, and this number has not varied significantly over the last five years.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government Hospitality Fund spent on the purchase of  (a) champagne and  (b) other wines in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality in Protocol Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, recorded the following expenditure on new stock for the Government cellar in the previous five years:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 93,503 
			 2004-05 60,059 
			 2005-06 95,264 
			 2006-07 108,715 
			 2007-08 137,460 
		
	
	These sums include approximately 33,310 spent on purchasing champagnes over the five year period.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget of the Government Hospitality Fund was in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality recorded the following expenditure in the years since 1997:
	
		
			
			 1997-98 342,131 
			 1998-99 407,399 
			 1999-2000 406,486 
			 2000-01 489,994 
			 2001-02 552,924 
			 2002-03 623,892 
			 2003-04 705,384 
			 2004-05 869,418 
			 2005-06 809,529 
			 2006-07 592,592 
			 2007-08 525,568

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budget has been set for the Government Hospitality Fund for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Gillian Merron: An annual budget of 800,000 has been allocated for Government Hospitality, Protocol Directorate, for each of the next two financial years.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to how many official functions the Government Hospitality Fund provided services in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality in Protocol Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, assisted in the organisation and execution of the following number of functions between 2004 and 2008:
	
		
			   Number of functions 
			 2004 283 
			 2005 260 
			 2006 227 
			 2007 189 
			 2008 208

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) role and  (b) function of the Government Hospitality Fund is.

Gillian Merron: Government Hospitality in Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office delivers official hospitality for all Government Ministers and Permanent Secretary-level officials. Government Hospitality manages all the logistical preparations for official functions. It also oversees the administration of the Government wine cellar, and the maintenance of stocks of linen, china, silver and glassware.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Departments made use of the Government Hospitality Fund in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Since 2004 the following Departments have used Government Hospitality's service:
	The Office of the Prime Minister;
	The Home Office;
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
	The Ministry of Defence;
	The Ministry of Justice;
	HM Treasury; the Cabinet Office;
	The Department of Health;
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform;
	The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs;
	The Department for International Development;
	The Department for Communities and Local Government;
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families;
	The Department for Energy and Climate Change;
	The Department for Work and Pensions;
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport; and
	The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Government Hospitality Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) champagnes and  (b) other wines the Government Hospitality Fund purchased in each of the last five years; and how many bottles of each were purchased.

Gillian Merron: Since 2004 Government Hospitality has purchased the following wines:
	English still and sparkling white and ros wines;
	Red Bordeaux;
	White Burgundy;
	Red Burgundy;
	White Loire;
	Sweet white Bordeaux;
	Non-vintage and vintage Champagne;
	Red Spanish;
	Red Italian;
	Red and white beverage (reception) wines;
	Red Argentinean;
	Red Australian;
	Red Chilean;
	Red New Zealand; and
	Red US wines.
	To give a detailed breakdown of the numbers of each wine bought would incur disproportionate cost as the information can be obtained only by investigating paper records.

Immigration: Finance

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget of the Returns and Reintegration Fund  (a) was in 2008-09 and  (b) is planned to be in 2009-10; what proportion of that total in each case is being provided by (i) his Department, (ii) the Ministry of Justice, (iii) the UK Border Agency and (iv) the Department for International Development; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The allocation for the Returns and Reintegration Fund in 2008-09 was up to 40 million comprising: UK Border Agency (UKBA) 21 million; Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 4 million and Department for International Development (DFID) 15 million. In 2009-10 it is planned to be up to 37 million comprising: UKBA 21 million; FCO 4 million and DFID 12 million. The Ministry of Justice makes no financial contribution but supports the fund by providing expertise on specific projects.

Iraq: Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, how much of the planned expenditure in the Middle East in 2009-10 has been allocated to stabilisation activities in Iraq.

David Miliband: Of the 18 million assigned to the Middle East North Africa Programme for 2009-10, 13.1 million will be spent on stabilisation activities in Iraq.
	Stabilisation activities there will focus on support for security sector reform by building Iraqi police and judiciary capabilities in forensics and investigations techniques across the country; fostering economic growth, investment and job opportunities in the Basra region; developing the capacity of the Council of Representatives; and reconciliation initiatives.

Iraq: Mujahedin-e Khalq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of alleged attacks on residents in Ashraf City by members of the Iraqi secret service; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 March 2009
	 We are aware that such allegations have surfaced in the Iraqi media. We have discussed these allegations with the US, who retain a presence inside Camp Ashraf, and with the Iraqi government. We have seen no evidence to support the allegations.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts for reconstruction projects in Iraq have been awarded to UK businesses.

Bill Rammell: Full information on contracts for reconstruction projects in Iraq is not held centrally and to collate would incur disproportionate cost. It would involve accessing information held by the government of Iraq, coalition partners, a full range of international and commercial partners alongside that held by the Government.
	From the Government's perspective, the Department for International Development has issued 117 contracts for our bi-lateral Iraq programme since March 2003. These all relate to our technical assistance projects in Iraq and are mostly small (under 100,000) and often to individual consultants. Some are considerably larger with sixteen over 1 million in value and the highest of 11,700,000. Our main contracts have been won by UK businesses such as Coffey International, Mott MacDonald, and PA Consulting.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 2 December 2008 from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford on Ms Margaret Harrison of Chelmsford.

Caroline Flint: My hon. Friend the Minister responsible for South East Asia replied to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's (Mr. Burns) letter on 31 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter to him of 19 February 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mrs Amtar Rashid.

David Miliband: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton's letter on 5 April 2009.

Mental Illness

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foresight report makes no recommendations directly relevant to the policy responsibilities of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Nonetheless its findings are consistent with the Department's approach to tackling workplace stress and mental health problems among its own staff.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Israeli government on the recent attack on a convoy in Sudan alleged to have been carrying arms to the Gaza Strip; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 2 April 2009
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the Israeli government on the recent attack on a convoy in Sudan alleged to have been carrying arms to the Gaza Strip.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the US administration on the recent attack on a convoy in Sudan alleged to have been carrying arms to the Gaza Strip; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 2 April 2009
	 My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the US administration on the attack on a convoy in Sudan alleged to have been carrying arms to the Gaza Strip.

Nepal: Human Rights

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the relationship between observance of human rights and long-term development in Nepal.

Bill Rammell: The UK wants to support Nepal in achieving its vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and just country, where all its people have a say and equal chances for a better life.
	A faltering peace process, delays in writing the new constitution and weak law and order are undermining the promotion and protection of human rights and the effective delivery of development programmes. The UK is committed to helping Nepal achieve peace and stability, draft a constitution which will establish an equitable society and protect human rights, and reach its poverty targets. In this way, all Nepalese people will be able to access their rights and benefit from development. The Department for International Development's programme in Nepal therefore has the following priorities: supporting the peace process and helping to improve security, helping the Nepalese Government to deliver more effectively, especially on health and education, and helping poor people, especially women, benefit from economic growth.

Nepal: Human Rights

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Nepal.

Bill Rammell: As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 23 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 32-33W, while there have been improvements in the human rights situation in Nepal since the end of the conflict in 2006, significant challenges remain to the promotion and protection of human rights caused by the absence of the rule of law. Despite the Government of Nepal making repeated commitments to promoting respect for human rights, they have made limited progress. They have however taken steps towards the proportional inclusion of minorities in all organs and at all levels of the state. They have also increased the budget for the national human rights commission, and has discussed the introduction of a bill to establish a truth and reconciliation commission.
	The continuing impunity for past and ongoing human rights abuses remains a key concern. It has encouraged a lack of respect for the law which encourages people to turn to violence to resolve disputes. Poor public security, particularly in the Terai (plains), where there is a proliferation of armed groups, is a major obstacle to improving human rights in Nepal. We are also concerned at the increase in intimidation and violence against journalists which is leading to self-censorship by journalists. Political interference in police investigations is commonplace and we continue to receive reports of torture in police custody.
	Our embassy in Kathmandu closely monitors the human rights situation. During the past year we have raised our concerns, including at ministerial level, about attacks on the media, freedom of expression and movement, excessive use of force by the security forces, and the need to discharge minors from the Maoist people's liberation army. We will continue to engage with the government of Nepal both bi-laterally and in conjunction with the EU, other international partners, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge it to meet the commitments it has made to uphold and promote human rights. Our embassy is also supporting the efforts of civil society to combat impunity, through advocacy, training and work on legislative reform.

Nepal: Press Freedom

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on levels of press freedom in Nepal.

Bill Rammell: There is a diverse and lively press in Nepal expressing different political viewpoints. However, we are concerned about increasing intimidation and violence against journalists. Attacks are from a range of sources, including Government Ministers, major political parties and their sister organisations, armed groups and businesses. Despite commitments by the Government to protect human rights widespread impunity has meant that attacks on freedom of expression go unpunished, leading to cases of self-censorship by journalists.
	We repeatedly raise concerns about freedom of expression at all levels with the Government of Nepal, both bilaterally and with the EU. Our embassy in Kathmandu also supports civil society initiatives to promote freedom of expression.

Nepal: Religious Freedom

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of levels of religious freedom in Nepal.

Bill Rammell: The interim constitution of Nepal provides for freedom of religion, and Nepal was declared a secular state by the interim parliament in 2007. We regularly urge the Government of Nepal at all levels to give priority to the implementation of all rights and freedoms, including religious freedoms, and are encouraging them to ensure that freedom of religion is enshrined in the new constitution currently being drafted.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Pakistan on allegations of human rights abuses in  (a) Swat region and  (b) elsewhere in Pakistan.

Bill Rammell: We discuss the situation in Swat with a wide range of Government of Pakistan officials. In those discussions we have raised the subjects of internally displaced people and the impact of violence on daily life. We also discuss the situation regularly with the international aid organisations operating in the region. More generally, we encourage human rights reform through our regular dialogue with the Government of Pakistan, both bi-laterally and through the EU.

Pakistan: Taliban

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of continuing Taliban insurgency in Pakistan on the Government's policies on the region.

Bill Rammell: The Government remain deeply concerned about the grave threat that Taleban militants and violent extremists in Pakistan pose to Pakistan and to the stability of the region.
	We are concerned about the spread of the Taleban's influence in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and by the peace deal in Swat. We need to be confident that any such deal will end violence, not create space for further violence. Previous deals have not provided a sustainable solution to Swats' problems.
	We consider that our objectives in Afghanistan cannot be achieved without a secure and stable Pakistan that is focused on tackling the serious problem of Afghan militants operating from Pakistan's frontier areas. A long-term, comprehensive approach is required, bringing together robust, monitored and enforceable security measures on cross-border movement with improvements in development and governance.
	Furthermore, we assess that insurgency in Pakistan creates space for the recruitment, training and operation of other violent extremist groups, including Al Qaida, which pose a clear security threat to the UK and the wider world.
	Insecurity created by the insurgency is also a fundamental obstacle to shared aims of development, economic growth and the fulfilment of human rights in Pakistan and the wider region.
	The UK seeks to help Pakistan to develop the capacity to tackle the threat of militancy and to build a stable, prosperous and democratic country that is equipped to address the grievances which can result in violent extremism.

Pakistan: Taliban

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Pakistan on the position of the Taliban in Swat region.

Bill Rammell: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials based at our High Commission in Islamabad continue to hold frequent discussions about the political and security situation in Pakistan with a wide range of Pakistani ministers, politicians and officials. The security situation in Swat has been a regular theme of discussions, including recently with Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last discussed the broader political and security situation in Pakistani with President Asif Zardari on Friday 12 March 2009.

RMS St. Helena

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of maintaining RMS St. Helena has been since it entered service in 1989.

Michael Foster: I have been asked to reply.
	Annual maintenance costs (including repairs) for the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St. Helena since 1991-92 when the RMS started service are set out in the following table. These do not include consumables (paint etc.).
	
		
			   
			   Total Cost  Maintenance/ repair cost  Capital Expenditure 
			 1991-92(1) 302,000   
			 1992-93(1) 394,000   
			 1993-94(1) 429,000   
			 1994-95(1) 486,000   
			 1995-96(1) 794,000   
			 1996-97(1) 700,000   
			 1997-98(1) 701,000   
			 1998-99(1) 827,000   
			 1999-2000(2) 1,262,000 1,038,000 224,000 
			 2000-01 814,000 420,000 394,000 
			 2001-02 578,000 463,000 115,000 
			 2002-03 656,000 512,000 144,000 
			 2003-04(3) 1,174,000 939,000 235,000 
			 2004-05 831,000 556,000 275,000 
			 2005-06 651,000 540,000 111,000 
			 2006-07(3) 1,281,000 925,000 356,000 
			 2007-08 1,227,000 707,000 520,000 
			 2008-09(1) 1,279,000 1,079,000 200,000 
			 (1) For these, costs cannot be broken down between maintenance/repair costs and capital expenditure. (2) Includes dry dock (3) Cost includes breakdown repairs

Security Guards

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the use of private armed security companies in volatile countries.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made an assessment on the use of private armed security companies in volatile countries.

Shanghai World Expo

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding has been received for the British pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is as follows:
	10,241,314 by 31 March 2009. This is made up of 1,351,600 from private sector sponsors; 8,889,714 from public sector sponsors.

Shanghai World Expo

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the British pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Bill Rammell: The design and building costs of the pavilion are 13.8 million, including a contingency of 1.8 million. The cost to the public purse of the pavilion will be this sum minus a share of sponsorship from the private sector.

Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what coaching and training the Government have provided for the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution, Jack McConnell; and what the cost was of such training since his appointment.

Bill Rammell: The right hon. Jack McConnell MSP, the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms, has been briefed by officials on relevant subjects as necessary. No formal training or coaching has been required and therefore no costs have been incurred.

Sudan: Eritrea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with President Afewerki of Eritrea on the recent visit to Eritrea of Sudan's President al-Bashir.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with President Afewerki of Eritrea. Our officials have regularly set out to the Eritrean government our views on the situation in Sudan and the need for co-operation with the International Criminal Court.

Sudan: Israel

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli ambassador on the recent Israeli attack on alleged arms carriers in Eastern Sudan.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the Israeli ambassador on the alleged attack on a convoy in Sudan, which was reported to have been carrying arms to the Gaza Strip.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Sudanese government on the closure of Sudan Social Development Organisation.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 2 April 2009
	We are gravely concerned about the expulsion of 13 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the closure of local organisations including the Sudan social development organisation. The EU statement issued on 10 March 2009 specifically mentions the local NGOs and calls on the government of Sudan to reconsider their decision.
	Our embassy in Khartoum is working closely with other embassies and the UN to ensure the situation of the local NGOs continues to be raised with the government of Sudan. A working group, including the UN Mission in Sudan, the UN African Union Mission in Darfur and the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs is being set up in Khartoum, to monitor the situation.
	To date, there has been no indication that the government of Sudan will reverse its decision and allow the local organisations to continue operating in Sudan.

Tony Blair

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse of the protection of Tony Blair when outside the British Isles has been since June 2007, broken down by category of expenditure.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1779W.

USA: Iran

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Secretary of State on President Obama's recent video broadcast to the Iranians.

Bill Rammell: We continue to have regular discussions with the US on the full range of Iran related issues, including during President Obama and Secretary Clinton's visit to the UK. We fully support President Obama's recent message to the Government and people of Iran and welcome his commitment to direct engagement and a relationship based on mutual respect if Iran is willing to do the same. I urge Iran's leaders to respond positively to the opportunity this presents to work constructively with the international community.

Uzbekistan: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part his Department has played in the EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights Dialogue.

Caroline Flint: Our ambassador in Tashkent makes a significant contribution to regular human rights reporting by EU Heads of Mission. These reports, supported as necessary by interventions by our representation in Brussels, play a key role in driving the agenda for the EU Human Rights Dialogue with Uzbekistan. We are preparing for the next round of that dialogue, which is due to take place on 10 June 2009 in Tashkent. Our aim is to contribute towards an EU approach that is both critical and constructive.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer question 258643, on arms trade: exports, tabled on 24 February 2009.

Gillian Merron: This question was answered on 31 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1114W. The delay in replying was due to an administrative error.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his African Union counterparts on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, met a number of African leaders, including Presidents Khama, Kikwete and Odinga, at a pre-London G20 Summit meeting on 16 March 2009. Zimbabwe was one of the key topics under discussion. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been in regular contact with Dlamini-Zuma, his South African counterpart, about Zimbabwe, which he discussed at a meeting on 6 March 2009. My noble Friend, Lord Malloch-Brown also spoke with African leaders about Zimbabwe at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa from 1-4 February 2009.